President Donald Trump has said he will not apologise to Pope Leo for his recent comments, saying he believes the Pope is wrong.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, the 47th president of the United States appeared unrepentant when asked about his remarks, which have drawn international condemnation.

“He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,” the president said, adding, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things.”

Trump further claimed that the United States “has the lowest crime numbers we have had in a long time”, attributing the alleged success to his administration’s deportation programme.

Violent crime spiked significantly in 2020, towards the end of Trump’s first term. The increase, largely attributed to COVID-19, began to fall in 2022, with a significant drop in 2024 and 2025 producing a roughly 20 per cent decline in murders, one of the largest drops recorded.

He also sought to contrast the pontiff with his eldest brother, Louis Prevost, claiming he “is a big MAGA person.”

The president addressed the image in which he depicted himself as Jesus healing the sick, released shortly after his comments on Leo, which he claims had been misunderstood. Explaining the image, he said, “I thought it was me as a doctor.”

The image shows the president healing the sick, surrounded by eagles, fighter jets and the Statue of Liberty. It depicts Trump wearing a red shawl with a white garment underneath and light coming from his hands, imagery closely associated with traditional depictions of Christ.

However, Trump said he believed the imagery was closer to the Red Cross, stating that he thought the image “had to do with Red Cross… which we support.” The Red Cross is a secular humanitarian organisation which provides emergency assistance in war zones and disasters, including recent aid efforts in Iran.

Trump’s refusal to apologise comes amid international criticism. Bishop Robert Barron, the Bishop of Winona–Rochester and founder of Word on Fire Ministries, criticised the president’s actions. Writing on X, he said Trump’s comments “don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation” and that “it is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life”. He added that “the president owes the Pope an apology”.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also described the comments as “unacceptable” and, defending the pontiff’s call for peace, said that the “Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and to condemn every form of war.”

However, Vice President JD Vance has said that the Vatican should “stick to matters of morality” and “let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.”