Pope Leo denies targeting Trump, says comments misread during Africa tour

Lead

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday sought to clarify remarks made earlier this week during his Africa tour, saying that comments about the world being "ravaged by a handful of tyrants" were not aimed at President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters aboard a flight from Cameroon to Angola, the pontiff said reporting on his comments "has not been accurate in all its aspects," according to Reuters and other outlets covering the trip.

The pope's remarks, made in a speech in Cameroon, had been widely interpreted as a rebuke of the Trump administration, particularly given his recent criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. But Leo said the speech "was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting," as reported by Reuters and the Jerusalem Post.

"As it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate the president, which is not in my interest at all," the pope said, according to multiple sources.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Reuters, the Jerusalem Post, and Deutsche Welle all carried the pope's denial, with similar framing. Fox News also covered the comments, noting the pope's remarks about not aiming his criticism at Trump, though its report placed greater emphasis on the pope's prior criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

The pope's Africa tour includes stops in 11 cities and towns across four countries, covering nearly 18,000 kilometers over 18 flights, according to multiple reports. He was speaking on the third leg of the tour, en route to Angola.

Key Claims

Pope Leo XIV said his comments decrying the world being "ravaged by a handful of tyrants" were not directed at President Trump.

The pope's speech in Cameroon was prepared two weeks in advance, before Trump had commented on the pope or his message of peace.

Trump had called Pope Leo XIV "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post and later shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, which drew criticism even from some religious conservatives.

Vice President JD Vance, who had previously criticized the pope's remarks, welcomed the pope's latest clarification.

Perspectives

The Vatican, through the pope's comments, emphasized that his message is one of peace and reconciliation, not a personal attack on any leader. The pope reiterated he would continue to speak out against war and preach the Gospel message of peace.

The Trump administration, represented by Vice President Vance's statement, indicated a willingness to move past the apparent conflict, acknowledging that "real disagreements have happened and will happen" but that the reality is "often much more complicated" than media narratives suggest.

Some observers, including religious conservatives, criticized Trump's AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, which was posted and then deleted.