President Trump's attempts to bully Pope Francis have backfired, drawing criticism from conservative Catholics who are increasingly rallying behind the American pontiff. Despite Trump's past criticisms of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis has successfully cultivated strong support from the American Catholic right, leading many within Trump's own political circle to defend the Pope. This shift is attributed to Pope Francis's less abrasive personality, doctrinal alignment with conservative bishops on issues like the Iran war, and his familiarity with American culture and Church hierarchy.
is a bully. But in trying to bully the head of the Roman Catholic Church , the president has pretty clearly picked the wrong target. Trump’sfor his criticism of the Iran war didn’t go over well, even with the conservative Catholics you would normally expect to enjoy a few shots at “woke” papal pronouncements.
, along with every other religious figure with the temerity to challenge his actions on moral or spiritual grounds. Despite his regular feuding with the late pontiff, Trump won ain 2024, and he probably figured he was on strong ground in suggesting the Vatican show some respect for his swaggering administration. But as the New York Unlike his predecessor, Leo has growing support from conservative Catholics in pews across the United States. As the anniversary of his election approaches next month, he has so significantly rebuilt the Vatican’s relationship with the American Catholic right that many in Mr. Trump’s own camp rushed to the pope’s defense on Monday. Interviews with conservatives attending Mass at Catholic parishes across the country revealed significant displeasure with the president for his harsh criticism of the pope, a dynamic hard to imagine not long ago. This isn’t just about Leo’s fame as the first American pope, though pride in his surprise election among U.S. Catholics is definitely an asset, along with his familiarity with American culture and his personal relationships with key members of the Church hierarchy in this country. He has a significantly less abrasive personality than his predecessor, particularly in dealings with Catholic traditionalists. He recently“just war” case for the Iran war, Leo is on solid doctrinal grounds shared by even the most conservative U.S. bishops. So far, the pontiff hasn’t waded into disputes over abortion or same-sex relationships, which drew attention to Trump’s areas of agreement with Catholic conservatives; Trump’s own apparent But what made Trump’s latest criticisms of Leo especially damaging to his own cause was his bizarre decision to follow up his Truth Social rant attacking Leo with an AI-generated depiction of himself in the role of Jesus Christ as a divine healer. This little “joke” went over very poorly across the religious landscape, offending a wide range of past Trump supporters. The only real difference of opinion was between those whoThe president should probably keep his mouth shut about Leo and stop reminding people of the idolatrous nature of his relentless self-regard, but he may not be able to help himself. One theory about his resentment of the pope is that he isCNN’s resident polling expert has suggested that Donald Trump is “jealous” of Pope Leo XIV’s soaring approval rating as the president continues his feud with the leader of the Catholic Church. On the cable channel’s News Central program Monday, chief data analyst Harry Enten presented polling data from March showing that Trump is nearly 50 points less popular than the Pope among the American public. He pointed to an NBC News poll last month showing that the Pope had +34 point net favorability rating with Americans, compared to Trump’s -12. “It’s not even close,” said Enten. “Pope Leo XIV absolutely crushing President Trump … and I will note that Pope Leo was the most popular person tested by NBC News. We all understand that Trump hates being described as a loser in any competition. So even if it’s perilous for him politically, he will probably continue to treat Leo as a prominent member of his enemies list.It’s still a confusing lull in the fighting, as the prospect of additional direct U.S-Iran talks lingers. Here’s the latest.The governor is proposing a surcharge on the second homes of the ultrawealthy. Both Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin are in favor.Trump could have kept quiet and let the controversy die down. Instead, he posted more attacks on Pope Leo and an image of Jesus hugging him.The organizer of the Christmas bar crawl was indicted for allegedly diverting proceeds from charity to pay for luxury vacations and home renovations.The president’s latest threat to fire Powell, coupled with a flimsy investigation, may endanger Trump’s next Fed pick.Conflicts with Vietnam and Iraq deeply divided the party. But now nearly all Democrats oppose Trump’s dangerous and unjust Iran war.The Manhattan district attorney has proved that a “tough on crime” attitude isn’t necessary to achieve public safety in New York.The Arizona senator told reporters that he knew nothing of his ex-colleague’s alleged behavior, saying, “Eric Swalwell lied to all of us.”Ivanka, Tiffany, and even Marla Maples showed up to celebrate Don Jr.’s bride-to-be. But the First Lady wasn’t there.Republicans in Congress need a lot of focus to enact their 2026 agenda. But Trump keeps veering into self-destructive tangents.The two congressmen will be ex-congressmen by the end of Tuesday. But two of their colleagues may still be in the hot seat.Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales now both say they are leaving office, but two other embattled members of Congress might still get the boot.His gubernatorial bid and probably his political career were already in the dumpster thanks to credible allegations of sexual assault.Failed negotiations with Iran, the defeat of Viktor Orbán, and then Trump insulting Pope Leo were quite the trifecta of bad news for the veep.The president explained the now-deleted image of him healing the sick with his glowing bare hands actually wasn’t blasphemous. We regret the error.Trump is standing by his depiction of Pope Leo as a disloyal political rival who’s “WEAK on Crime.” But he deleted a photo of himself as Jesus.The front-runner’s spectacular fall could create an opportunity for any number of Democratic, or even Republican, rivals as voting nears.Iran and oil expert Gregory Brew on the president’s misguided blockade and what a best-case scenario looks like now.*Sorry, there was a problem signing you up.
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