Overview
- Pope Leo XIV, who spoke to reporters Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo, said the Church has long opposed all nuclear weapons and asked critics to judge him truthfully.
- Trump alleged in a Monday radio interview that the pope thinks it is okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and said the pontiff is endangering Catholics, a claim widely challenged by Vatican statements and news reports.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that Trump’s remarks were being mischaracterized and said the president’s point was that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon because it would threaten Catholics, Christians, and others.
- The State Department says Rubio will be in Rome and the Vatican from May 6–8, with a Thursday meeting with the pope described by the U.S. ambassador as a “frank” dialogue on the Middle East and Western Hemisphere issues such as Cuba.
- Outlets across the spectrum note the Vatican has never endorsed any country obtaining nuclear arms and highlight Leo’s calls for peace and his denunciation of Trump’s threat to “destroy” Iranian civilization, as officials work to contain diplomatic and political fallout.