President Donald Trump has reignited a political and diplomatic dispute over Iran after reacting sharply to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Johnson said his May 28 audience with the Chicago-born pontiff included conversations about United States immigration policy and the conflict involving Iran.
Trump responded two days later with a Truth Social post that mixed criticism of the mayor with a warning that Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Truth Social Post Targets Johnson and the Pope
In his May 30 post, Trump said someone should explain the Iran issue to the pope while also attacking Johnson’s leadership in Chicago.
He included screenshots from the mayor’s own posts showing Johnson and Pope Leo exchanging gifts and praying during the Vatican visit.
The remarks added a new layer to Trump’s continuing argument that the pope has misunderstood, or is being wrongly briefed on, the administration’s position toward Iran.
Leo XIV Has Repeatedly Rejected Nuclear Weapons
Pope Leo XIV has publicly rejected claims that he supports any path toward nuclear armament.
Speaking earlier in May at Castel Gandolfo, he said the Church has long opposed nuclear weapons and has consistently called for disarmament.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin later reinforced that message, saying the Holy See has worked for nuclear disarmament in the past and intends to continue doing so.
White House and Chicago Officials Stay Silent
The White House and the Chicago mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment after Trump’s latest statement.
The silence left the president’s social media remarks as the clearest public signal of how the administration views Johnson’s Vatican visit and the pope’s criticism of the conflict.
Older Tensions Resurface Between Trump and Leo
The exchange follows earlier criticism from Trump, who in April described Pope Leo XIV as weak on crime and poor on foreign policy while saying he was not a fan of the pontiff.
Trump has also objected to Leo’s public calls for peace during the U.S.-led war involving Iran.
The pope, however, has continued to speak against the violence and has said he is not afraid of the Trump administration or of proclaiming the message of the Gospel.
