WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� A majority of U.S. Catholic voters supported Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential victory. Yet across the broad Catholic political spectrum 鈥� even among conservative-leaning bishops 鈥� there is dismay over Trump鈥檚 on Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead their church.
Leo says he is sharing a Gospel message and not directly attacking Trump or anyone else with his appeals for peace and criticism of attitudes fueling the war.
Criticism of Trump came from , head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and from Minnesota-based who only a few days ago was applauding Trump as an Easter guest at the White House. Barron called the president鈥檚 remarks 鈥渆ntirely inappropriate and disrespectful鈥� and urged him to apologize.
The dismay extended into an even more solid base of Trump support 鈥� conservative Christian evangelicals. Many were appalled that Trump followed his Truth Social attack on Leo by posting an image depicting himself as a Christ-like savior.
鈥淭AKE THIS DOWN, MR. PRESIDENT,鈥� , a prominent Trump-supporting commentator with the Christian Broadcasting Network. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not God. None of us are. This goes too far. It crosses the line.鈥�
By midday Monday, the image had been taken down from Truth Social. And speaking at the White House, the president claimed that he never intended to liken himself to Jesus when he posted the picture.
鈥淗ow did they come up with that?” he asked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”
Trump: No apology needed
On his clash with the pope, Trump was equally defiant: 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing to apologize for. He鈥檚 wrong.鈥�
The president’s feud with American religious communities comes just six months before voting begins in this fall’s midterms as Trump grapples with low approval ratings and dissension from his MAGA base over the war with Iran. But few groups of voters have been more loyal to Trump 鈥� and important to his political success 鈥� than those on the religious right.
For now, some Trump allies are optimistic that the dispute will soon be forgotten.
鈥淭here is a deep reservoir of appreciation for the president and his faith-based policies that transcends and eclipses any disagreement over a social media post,鈥� Ralph Reed, who sits on the president鈥檚 faith advisory board, told The Associated Press.
Through American history, numerous U.S. presidents have had policy differences with various popes. But experts on the Vatican and religious history could recall no exchange comparable to the back-and-forth between Trump and Leo over the in the Iran war.
鈥淭his is unprecedented criticism of a Pope from a US president,鈥� David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, said via email.
鈥淎s to whether it will have a big effect on how US Catholic voters regard Trump, that is an open question,鈥� Campbell added. 鈥淕iven that attitudes toward the president are driven largely by people鈥檚 party preference 鈥� which is hard to move — it probably will not have a huge impact on Catholics鈥� attitudes toward Trump.鈥�
David Gibson, director of Fordham University鈥檚 Center on Religion and Culture, noted that many lay Catholics have been standing by Trump in recent weeks and have been critical of their bishops who critique the president.
鈥淚f this attack on the pope does not shift that dynamic in a marked way it will truly be a watershed moment … with American Catholics choosing a Catholic-baiting president over their own pope,鈥� Gibson said.
Looking far back into world history, Trump鈥檚 attempt to 鈥渟trong-arm Pope Leo鈥� isn鈥檛 anything new, said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a professor of American Studies and History at Notre Dame.
鈥淓mperors, monarchs, and despots have long threatened popes in an effort to force them to bend to their will,鈥� she said via email. 鈥淚n an American context, however, Trump鈥檚 invective does represent a historic reversal.鈥�
鈥淔or most of this country鈥檚 history, Americans viewed the pope as war-mongering, money-grubbing, anti-democratic menace who had designs on the White House,鈥� she added. 鈥淭oday, the menace is in the White House, and the pope is the one defending the ideals of liberty and human dignity.鈥�
At a prayer service Saturday, the pontiff denounced the 鈥� 鈥� that he said was fueling the war with Iran. Without citing Trump or the U.S. specifically, the pope said: 鈥淓nough of the display of power! Enough of war!鈥�
On Monday, he was specific in responding to the president鈥檚 criticisms, saying 鈥淚 have no fear of the Trump administration.鈥�
Vance suggests Vatican should stay out of politics in some cases
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who occasionally has sparred with church leaders over their criticism of the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration crackdown, said in an interview on Fox 草莓传媒 Channel on Monday night that the president鈥檚 social media post with the Jesus-like image was 鈥渁 joke.”
“Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people weren鈥檛 understanding his humor,鈥� Vance said.
He repeatedly dismissed the focus on the president鈥檚 fight with the pope, saying it 鈥渋sn鈥檛 particularly newsworthy” and there will be disagreements from time to time with the Vatican.
But Vance also suggested the pope should stay in his lane.
鈥淚 certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what鈥檚 going on with the Catholic church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said.
Catholics Vote Common Good, a nonprofit group that generally supports progressive causes, urged Vance to speak out on the rift.
鈥淎t a moment when the Holy Father is being attacked and the dignity of the Church is being undermined, silence is not neutrality. It is complicity,鈥� said Denise Murphy McGraw, the organization鈥檚 national co-chair.
Some vocal evangelical supporters of Trump criticized the meme depicting him as healer apparently resembling Jesus, even while maintaining support for Trump himself.
鈥淚t isn鈥檛 hard to condemn this outright,鈥� said Willy Rice, a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida.
鈥淢any Christians appreciate the President鈥檚 administration and have supported him in meaningful ways, but this is wrong,鈥� Rice posted on X.
Also weighing in was Doug Wilson, co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a staunchly conservative Calvinist denomination with in the current administration. Its churches鈥� members include Defense Secretary
鈥淚 was very grateful to see how many conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image,鈥� Wilson posted on X.
Megan Basham, a conservative evangelical commentator, posted that she agreed with Trump鈥檚 criticisms of Leo as 鈥淲eak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.鈥� But she assailed his meme as 鈥淥UTRAGEOUS blasphemy鈥� and urged Trump to 鈥渁sk for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.鈥�
A look at the numbers for religious blocs as election nears
Such public dissension against Trump from evangelical leaders is rare.
In 2024, white evangelical Protestants were a significant component of Trump鈥檚 winning coalition, according to AP VoteCast. About one-third of Trump voters, 34%, identified as white evangelical or born-again Christians, compared with only 8 percent of Harris voters. White evangelicals made up about 2 in 10 voters that year, and the vast majority, 79%, voted for Trump.
A February AP-NORC poll found that about two-thirds of white born again Protestants approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while about one-third disapprove.
Catholics were much unhappier with Trump鈥檚 performance in that poll. Only about 4 in 10 approved of his handling of the presidency, similar to Americans overall.
William Barbieri, a Catholic University ethics professor, said Trump鈥檚 remarks seemed aimed more at his political base than at Leo himself.
鈥淧ope Leo鈥檚 response has been calm and measured, in a way that creates a contrast unflattering to the President,鈥� Barbieri said via email.
鈥淗e is opposing resorts to lethal force … and expressing solidarity with suffering people in many countries,鈥� said Barbieri, contrasting the start of Leo鈥檚 pastoral journey to Africa this week with Trump鈥檚 appearance at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the weekend.
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This story has been corrected to attribute a quote to David Gibson of Fordham University, not to David Campbell of Notre Dame.
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Crary reported from New York and Smith from Pittsburgh. Associated Press writers Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed.
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