Pope Leo, aka Pope Bob, has gotten under Donald Trump’s skin. Granted, it’s not difficult – Trump is the most thin-skinned man in the world, an utter buffoon who operates solely on stupidity, evil, misogyny, racism and cruelty. Any pope preaching a gospel of tolerance, forgiveness, respect and kindness would be seen as a threat to Donald Trump. Last week, we learned that Pete Hegseth had the Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby threaten the Vatican’s ambassador to the US with military force. As in, the Pentagon threatened to use military force on the Vatican. Colby invoked the memory of the Avignon Papacy. As the news came out last week (it was leaked by the Vatican), Pope Bob continued to use his public remarks to make pointed criticisms of Trump and his unhinged policies. This weekend, Trump had a pope-related meltdown on his social media:
Pope Leo XIV is one of the world’s most powerful critics of the U.S. war with Iran. In recent days, he has condemned the worship of mortals and money, the pitfalls of arrogance, and the “absurd and inhuman violence” unleashed by fighting that has further destabilized the Middle East. His many admonishments over the past week appear to have reached President Trump, who responded to those calls for peace by scorching the first American-born pontiff on social media and then taking personal credit for Leo’s ascension to the papacy.
“Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise,” Mr. Trump wrote in a lengthy social media post on Sunday night. “He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
When he sent the post, the president was fresh off a weekend of attending a mixed martial arts fight in Miami and spending time with supporters at his golf club after negotiations with Iran had failed. He criticized Leo as “weak on crime” — an insult he usually reserves for Democratic mayors — and “terrible for foreign policy.” He said that he much preferred the pope’s brother Louis because of his support for the MAGA movement — “He gets it!” Mr. Trump wrote. The president also accused the pope of “catering to the radical left” and then offered a piece of advice, to “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
The antagonistic post showed that there were really no boundaries when it comes to people Mr. Trump might target — the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is apparently fair game. Shortly after sending his post on Sunday evening, Mr. Trump disembarked from Air Force One and answered questions from reporters. When asked why he sent the post, the president said that he did not think the pope was doing a good job and suggested that Leo “likes crime, I guess.” He accused the pope of supporting nuclear weapons and called him a “very liberal person.”
I feel like we’ve become inured to Trump’s demented mindset. Granted, I get so upset by this daily onslaught, I mostly try to ignore all of these people simply to get through the day. But whenever I dip my toe back in and actually read or listen to what Trump is saying, I’m newly shocked by his decline. This latest attack on Pope Bob is, to me, just the latest example of Trump’s complete lack of executive function. Think of the reaction if it was Barack Obama, Joe Biden or, hell, George W. Bush saying even a fraction of these things about THE POPE. Literally every media outlet would have blaring headlines about “unfit for office” and “impeachable offense.”
Today, Pope Bob was en route to Algeria for a 10-day African tour. On the plane, Bob was asked about Trump’s rant, and he said: “I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.” Asked specifically about Trump’s Truth Social post, Bob said: “It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more.” Bob really is uniquely positioned here, you know?
Trump also posted this over the weekend. No words.
And Trump posted an image of himself as some sort of American Jesus healing people.
— Brian Kaylor (@briankaylor.bsky.social) April 12, 2026 at 10:02 PM
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- President Donald J. Trump oversees the attack on Iran “Operation Epic Fury” at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, FL, March 1, 2026.,Image: 1079637677, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Daniel Torok/Avalon
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- United States President Donald J Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for US Secretary of Homeland Security DHS Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Mullin was confirmed as DHS secretary, placing the former Oklahoma senator in charge of a Trump administration immigration crackdown that has triggered a 37-day funding shutdown of the cabinet agency. Copyright: xGraemexSloanx/,Image: 1085954364, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Graeme Sloan / Pool via CNP /MediaPunch/Avalon
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- United States President Donald J Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for US Secretary of Homeland Security DHS Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. The former Oklahoma senator is now in charge of a Trump administration immigration crackdown that has triggered a 37-day funding shutdown of the cabinet agency. Copyright: xGraemexSloanx/,Image: 1085983408, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Graeme Sloan / Pool via CNP /MediaPunch/Avalon
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- ITALY – POPE LEO XIV DURING THE WEEKLY GENERAL AUDIENCE AT THE VATICAN – 2026/4/8 Italy, Rome, Vatican, 2026/4/08 Pope Leo XIV during the weekly general audience at St Peter s Square in The Vatican EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO BOOKS Copyright: xALESSIAxGIULIANIx,Image: 1089555263, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/ALESSIA GIULIANI/Avalon
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- ITALY – POPE LEO XIV DURING THE WEEKLY GENERAL AUDIENCE AT THE VATICAN – 2026/4/8 Italy, Rome, Vatican, 2026/4/08 Pope Leo XIV during the weekly general audience at St Peter s Square in The Vatican EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO BOOKS Copyright: xALESSIAxGIULIANIx,Image: 1089555731, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/ALESSIA GIULIANI/Avalon
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- ITALY – POPE LEO XIV DURING THE WEEKLY GENERAL AUDIENCE AT THE VATICAN – 2026/4/8 Italy, Rome, Vatican, 2026/4/08 Pope Leo XIV during the weekly general audience at St Peter s Square in The Vatican EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO BOOKS Copyright: xALESSIAxGIULIANIx,Image: 1089555903, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/ALESSIA GIULIANI/Avalon
I wake up every morning and I think to myself what bullshit has Trump been spewing when I’m asleep? It never fails. Please just one morning I want to wake up and find that orange stain has been completely removed from my life!!!
Melania, JD, and billions of us have the same thought every morning.
But the horrific question is who takes his place????? And will he have the same power of the MAGA base (I use the pronoun he because we sure as hell know it will not be a woman).
If we’re lucky, JD is all they have. If we’re unlucky, freaking Tucker Carlson or that Fuentes creature.
JD is owned by the Heritage Foundation. They bought him onto the ticket and they’ve gotten 85 % of their Project 2025 done as a result. They’ll keep him power.
Amen to that, Susan! Is there enough bleach in the world to remove the residue though?
He is without morality or respect. Weak on crime says the criminal. That slob probably thinks Pope Bob is the mayor of the Vatican. The stupidest person to ever hold that position.
Long Live Pope Bob. He’s calling out the Christo-Fascists and reminding them that if they were really Christians, they would not be using the religion as an excuse for hatred, torture, or war.
I really think this is smoke and mirrors to have our focus on this stupidity rather than on Iran or Epstein. And what does the good Catholic Vance think about this?? I would love to ask some of my former catholic friends who voted for him, but we have parted ways. Every single elected official is to blame. They have the power to stop this insanity but do not and in return they have compromised the US – we are the laughing stock of the world.
Only Republican elected officials have the power to stop him.
While I understand that, I blame them all. The Dems and independents can not sit idly by while he turns everything into a shitshow. And the Supreme Court too is to blame. They all had a hand in this.
But most Dems are not sitting idly by. They are fighting with the tools they have which aren’t many. Math is a fact which cannot be overcome before the midterms. And when you say, “a plague on both your houses”, you are hurting our chances in November even if unintentionally. Both parties are NOT the same, and that should be the message for the midterms.
No, both parties are not the same. But where the blame lies equally is in this decades-long obsession with consolidating power in the White House through the convenience of executive orders over Congressional approval and law-making. Each side blames this on the intransigence of the other – just breaking the gridlock, see? But this removes the incentive for Congress to figure out how to work together, and it promotes instability as the orders of the outgoing president are negated by the incoming one.
For now can we set aside blame and unicorns? Vote Democrat up and down the ticket. Every ticket every election – school board, city council, all of it.
Not third party, not progressive. That is the only way to defeat the republican machine.
@IrisRose – you’re right – no waffling. We should all go out and vote.
I don’t know. Maybe we ought to be taking seriously the idea that Trump really is the Antichrist. This unhinged rant is the clearest sign yet. And Trump is the one treating the Pope as if he’s a politician. Weak on crime? Terrible for foreign policy? The president of the United States is laughably ignorant and a demented lunatic.
Your post echoed my thoughts…
I believe Jesus is the problem. He’s the one who promised he’d see the thief in Paradise. Weak on crime from the beginning.
Trump is unhinged.
I don’t think Trump knows what the Pope actually does.
Epistemic Crisis on SM has a count down on when he thinks the front temporal (I think that’s the kind) dementia will be too bad to continue, and I think we’re within 2 weeks now. Orban losing must have him spooked, along with *gesturing at everything else *.
If Trump has a problem with the Pope’s stance on crime and foreign policy (which, does he think the Pope is like, the president of Italy or something?), he’s gonna have to take it up with Jesus, because those are technically His policies. Hopefully he’ll get to meet the Big Guy sooner rather than later. I’d love to hear him try to explain to JC how palling around with the Grand High Pedophile, deliberately separating immigrant families and keeping them in terrible conditions (even denying them Communion in some cases), destroying social safety nets, enacting policies that encourage racism and misogyny, attempting to erase unflattering history, siccing his Gestapo on nurses and soccer moms, and bombing schools makes him a candidate for Heaven.
Also, that picture he posted is f–king insane. Why does the media continue to ignore the fact that he’s literally out of his goddamned mind?
That picture…he really is insane. It’s so blasphemous that it takes my breath away.
Can we talk about the imagery in that picture he posted? Does anyone else think the patient looks like Epstein? Do nurses still wear caps like that while in scrubs? All of the people are white. Why are parachutists landing in a hospital setting and why is thd middle one wearing a spiked crown?
Yes to a lot of people that looked like Epstein
I think it’s supposed to be a winged armed unhinged statue of liberty
At first I thought fallen soldiers were ascending to heaven or maybe Donald’s angels wear camo. The winged angel with the spiky headpiece looks like they’re borrowing ideas from superhero comics. It’s create your own Avenger day I guess.
Positing yourself as Jesus couldn’t be a bigger ad to avoid the White House for Leo.
With all of the foul sh_t this imbecile inflicts on the world daily, its easy to forget that during conclave, Prez Jack_ss said that he should be the Pope. This fool has been idolized and worshipped by the MAGA cult and evangelicals so much, and with his dementia riddled brain that imo he doesn’t think he was sent by God, he thinks he is god. This isn’t the first imagery he’s posted that portrays him as godlike. And like most weak, emotionally fragile, insecure men, he wants more and more power. Also, Pope Leo won’t bend the knee to him, which to him is mandatory, and no one is ever allowed to criticize him. Some idiot in his admin said that the Pope didn’t know the Bible. Unbelievable! I’m not Catholic but I was offended. What the what?!?! The fact that so many so called MAGA “christians” allow/justify/tolerate so many instances of such blatant blasphemy and disrespect by the Felon and his minions disgusting, disgraceful and frankly, embarrassing.
At what point does God smite Trump for all of the sacrilege? Isn’t there a commandment in the Bible about not putting any others before God and here we have Trump posting an image of himself as the human form of God, Jesus Christ? Commence with the smiting, Sky Daddy.
Oh, I think God is smiting Trump right now. That’s why he looks like the walking dead.
I was thinking more along the lines of a conveniently placed lightning strike.
@Sue – Golf courses get struck by lightning all the time, but maybe God has bad aim? I’m gonna start praying to Thor just to cover my bases.
They say God works in mysterious ways. A lightning strike might turn Trump into a martyr. A slow and visible decline, while painful for all of us in the interim, will put him in the dustbin.
The born-again faction of American Protestantism was always a wingnut fringe. And I think the problem is that when the great bulk of the religion — like the CofE — is watered down, to please the greatest number of people possible, like a blend of etiquette, self-help, and soothing bromide, it loses something. So the fringe overcompensates. It’s a common dynamic. Charles is seen to be weak, so William overcompensates. A religion is not a philosophy — it’s not abstract and speculative — but practical, and imperative. It imposes duties & rules, and it encodes them in a moral order that acknowledges some things are sacred and some are profane and some are in a kind of transient limbo, where they need working on, and that’s the task it assigns us, as agents of the moral order. But that work takes place in the real world, with effort, in contact with other people, in a shared commitment to principles, to a labour of love. It compels respect for other people whether or not they are “saved” or “elect” or “like us,” LOL. If life is sacred, so is every person you meet. At least, you have to try to see them that way. It’s a struggle. It engages free will as the terrain of the contest between good and evil. If you don’t believe that evil is real and ever present, how do you recognise good?
I admit: I couldn’t stop laughing last night about the pope being “weak on crime.” That is the most hilariously stupid thing that’s ever been written.
If only the guy who’d written it didn’t control the nation’s nukes.
Pope Leo is in every way the opposite of Trump: Unlike Melania and her dumbass husband, he genuinely is multilingual; he’s quietly brilliant; he cares about the poor and those suffering because of the warmongers like Trump; he’s not going to TACO on his deeply held convictions. Plus, he’s from Chicago and knows how to slip in a knife without the other person realizing it.
Trump is not going to win this fight.
Trump has beening working hard to get Leo to the White House for 12 months now. Leo’s MAGA brother gets feted in the oval office as bait. Instead of becoming power besties, Leo denounces wars and anti-immigration efforts on a daily basis. Oh the humanity, a man of God is using the bible!
Hmm, I guess its because he thinks as the Vatican is a ‘small country’ its easy to bully – dum dum seems to forget Italy has its back.
You knows its bad when the President of Iran is calling out that AI image he tweeted yesterday to defend the Pope and Christianity.