Donald Trump is discovering that he has enemies in high places, and, oddly enough, he cannot fight back when they publicly criticize or mock him for being ruthless and indecisive.
For weeks, Donald Trump campaigned hard, using various methods, to push the Vatican to finally elect its first American-born pope. Trump opted for his favorite and bizarre method — circulating images of an AI-generated version of himself dressed as the pope.
While there is no proof that Donald Trump’s alleged campaign influenced the secret conclave, a priest from Chicago was, in fact, elected. Cardinal Robert Prevost, born in Illinois, became Pope Leo XIV in May 2025.
Donald Trump, of course, took credit for Pope Leo XIV becoming pope. He has bragged that this achievement is one of his many accomplishments during his second term. Trump has been praising the Chicago-born pope relentlessly.
The religious leader has never returned any of the glorious praises to President Trump. The pope, who is widely considered a centrist figure within the Church, holds views that do not align with those of members of the extreme wing of the Republican Party.
Pope Leo XIV was an avid user of social media, especially formerly on Twitter. His social media activities before becoming pope demonstrated a clear, long-standing opposition to anti-immigrant policies, rhetoric, and social justice stances promoted by Donald Trump and the far-right wing of the Republican Party, positioning him as a strong advocate for migrants and the poor.
In 2015, he posted a headline that read, “Why Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic.”
In 2018, he retweeted criticism stating, “There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents and warehouses them in cages. This is being carried out in our name, and the shame is on us all.”
This week, despite the pope’s busy schedule, he had time to deliver a scathing message to the President regarding his near-invasion of Venezuela and his threats and ultimatums to its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Pope Leo XIV Delivers Scathing Warning to Trump
His Holiness shared his thoughts on Trump’s threats to remove Maduro during a press conference after his trips to Turkey and Lebanon.
The pope urged President Trump to seek diplomatic or economic solutions rather than resorting to military action against Venezuela’s leadership.
When asked about Trump’s threats to remove Maduro, the Pontiff told reporters: “It is better to search for ways of dialogue, or perhaps pressure, including economic pressure.”
He expressed hope that the President can find alternative ways to achieve US aims “if that is what they want to do in the United States.”
Regarding the potential for a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, a defiant Trump stated: “If we have to, we’ll attack on land, too, just like we attacked at sea.”
The Trump administration has many questioning the legality of the recent military operations in the Caribbean, which include bombing vessels that are said to be carrying illicit drugs en route to the U.S. The strikes have led to over 80 deaths.
The Trump administration has defended a warlike situation with Maduro, claiming the need to combat what they call Maduro’s “narco-regime” that sends illegal drugs to the United States.
Pope Leo, who has deep ties to Latin America after spending nearly four decades in Peru as a cleric, openly ridiculed Trump for the contradictory signals his administration has toward Venezuela.
The pope said the following about the recent confusing phone call between Maduro and Trump: “On one hand, it seems there was a call between the two presidents. On the other hand, there is the danger; there is the possibility there will be some activity, some [military] operation.”
He concluded by pointing to the constant changes in U.S. policy regarding the matter, saying: “The voices that come from the United States, they change with a certain frequency.”
Escalation Of US Pressure On Maduro After Failed Surrender Talks
All diplomatic efforts between the US and Venezuela came to a halt after a heated phone call between President Trump and Nicolás Maduro late in November. Trump lamented the conversation with Maduro, saying, “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly.”
Key Details of the Failed Negotiations: The failed call reportedly focused on the terms of a surrender offered to Maduro, his family, and his allies.
The political leader was given a reason to accept — a $50 million bounty on his head from the State Department.
Trump offered Maduro, his wife, and son safe passage out of Venezuela, provided they left immediately. According to the New York Times and The Herald, Maduro made a counteroffer: “First, Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected. Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91, when Violeta Chamorro took power. In return, they would allow free elections.”
The US rejected the demands and instead demanded that Maduro resign immediately.
Immediate US Retaliation and Threats: The crisis between the US and Venezuela has intensified after negotiations for Nicolás Maduro’s resignation failed, leading President Trump to close the airspace and issue warnings of “land” military operations. The US has further escalated pressure by seizing an oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast and maintaining a large naval presence, including the USS Gerald F. Ford carrier group, near the country.
