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Most people get it Sunday is scarybut most of them are not a sitting president facing international chaos of his own making and likely to grow of the midterm elections disrupted in a few months. What does it feel like weekly social media crash from the president of the United States usually begins sometime on Sunday and continues into the early hours of the following morning. Given the failure of negotiations with Iran on Saturday, the possibility of high gas prices for months, and fail loudly Trump’s ally and model Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Donald Trump had a lot of fuel for the scandal last night.
But the most notable subject in this week’s edition was Pope Leo XIV, who has been critical of Trump’s attacks on Venezuela and the war in Iran. The posts show that Trump views religion the way he views everything else: as something that can serve him but does not bring any responsibility to him.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and Bad on Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, launching long jeremiah. “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing what I was elected to do, IN THE FALLS, setting a Record Low in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.” Trump claimed that Leo XIV was chosen only because the cardinals believed he would be good at handling the current administration. Trump is also upset that Leo met with David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and commentator. “Today he should get his job as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the extreme Left, and focus on being the Pope, not a Politician,” Trump said.
Forty-six minutes later, Trump has been published his figure being like Jesus, reaching out to heal a man in bed as a nurse, soldier, and others look on, and with a history of bric-a-brac patriotism (flags, eagles, warplanes). The image has been circulating for at least a a few monthswhile the angel near the top of the image has somehow transformed into a monstrous state, perhaps through the wonders of AI generation. The figure made the claim of blasphemy and even possessed by a demon from some of Trump’s usual allies on the right; The president has since deleted it, telling reporters he believes the photo showed him as a doctor.
Too many differences appear here to list them all. For example, Trump insists that Leo give up politics but also complains about the pope’s policy stance on crime. What he means here is a paradox. (The Catholic Church can be said to have a de-jail agenda: Jesus, quoting the Prophet Isaiah, said that he had been sent to preach freedom to the prisoners, and the first pope, Peter, was imprisoned at least once and likely killed for confessing Jesus. Then again, Vatican City, by some accounts, high crime rate per capita in the world, because of looting.)
Another contrast is that Trump doesn’t seem to have any problem mixing religion and politics—as the Christ-like image shows, and as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s words about the war show. The president’s response to criticism (or perceived criticism) from any public figure is to unleash violence on social media against them, without much thought of who that person is or what their role in society might be. This a black-and-white view of the world owes more to Mani, another religious leader whose death was depicted as a crucifixion, than to Jesus of Nazareth.
The outrage against Leo is the latest increase in anti-Catholicism among some people on the MAGA right. Trump has a number of staunch Catholics in his administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, though some, like Vance, have at times disagreed with the Holy See under Leo and his predecessor, Francis. Free Media information last week that the Pentagon summoned a Vatican official, the first time such a meeting was known to have taken place. It did not go well, with administration officials reportedly demanding the papacy of Avignon, the 14th-century administration of the role and the French crown. Both sides dismissed the report, but Trump’s post makes it hard to dismiss the friction between them.
Speaking to journalists while he was on his way to Algeria today, Today he said“I am not afraid, neither the Trump administration nor to speak loudly about the message in the Gospel.” And while he was more restrained than Trump, he showed he could crack it and accept it, joking about Social Truth, “It’s amazing — the name of the site itself. Say no more.”
But even though Leo distanced himself from involvement in electoral politics in the way Trump meant, he defended his claim to discuss social issues, citing Jesus’ statement that “blessed are the mediators.” Issues of peace, poverty, and privilege are central to Christianity, and navigating how and how much to take on these issues is a challenge for any secular leader—indeed, anyone—who professes a religion.
Trump’s theological vision shares much with, and may have come from, Norman Vincent Peale, a prominent Protestant minister of the mid-20th century. Peale, who wrote The Power of Positive Thinkingto attract believers including the Trump family and a version of Christianity that emphasized happiness and wealth but perhaps asked few of its followers, even though Jesus says again and again in the Gospels that to follow him it is not an ordinary endeavor.
As an adult, Trump showed few signs of religiosity or knowledge and scriptures he even courted Christians in the 2016 election. Since surviving an assassination attempt in 2024, Trump has appeared more religious, and has publicly mused about his chances of entering heaven. But his speech is not matched by any obvious change of behavior, wanting to be forgiven of past sins, or increased church attendance. Issues of peace, poverty, and privilege are out of mind: After briefly portraying himself as a pacifist in pursuit of the Nobel Prize, Trump has now embraced a military trip; he has ignored the economic crisis; and has dismissed the concerns of religious leaders about his immigration enforcement. Trump understands well the power of the image and organization of Christianity, but seems to reject the idea that it should create any obstacles for him.
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