&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Tell the pope’: Trump REVEALS he sent Rubio to Vatican with a pointed message on Iran")
US President Donald Trump on Friday (May 8) revealed that he had instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to personally deliver his stern message to Pope Leo XIV during their Vatican meeting, a diplomatic errand that unfolded against the backdrop of one of the most public feuds between a US president and a sitting pontiff in modern history. Trump said he told Rubio to "very nicely, very respectfully" tell the Pope that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, something which the Pope has never supported anyway.
Trump makes Rubio his errand boy: The message REVEALED
"I just said, tell the pope very nicely, very respectfully, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters during an inspection of the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool renovations. "Also, tell the pope that Iran killed 42,000 innocent protesters who didn't have guns, who didn't have weapons. Tell that to the pope."
Pope-Rubio 'exchanged views' on global issues
Rubio met with Leo on Thursday, the first meeting between the pope and a Trump cabinet official in nearly a year. The Vatican later said the two men exchanged views on global issues, including the Middle East conflict and "the need to work tirelessly in favour of peace."
There was also a notably awkward gift exchange. Rubio presented Leo, a Chicago native and lifelong White Sox fan, with a small crystal American football, while acknowledging that the pontiff was more of a "baseball guy." Leo responded by giving Rubio a pen carved from olive wood, noting that the olive branch is a symbol of peace. The symbolism was not subtle.
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Also read | Rubio turns Vatican visit awkward with odd football gift; Pope Leo's 'wow, okay' steals the spotlight
Trump vs Pope feud continues to escalate
The meeting took place as the Pope and the POTUS continue to be embroiled in a very public feud. Trump has spent weeks attacking Leo for opposing the Iran war, and has repeatedly and falsely suggested the pope believes it is acceptable for Iran to develop nuclear weapons. He even called the pontiff "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post.
Later, Trump shared and then deleted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. He then told a radio interviewer the pope was "endangering a lot of Catholics."
Also read | 'If anyone wants to criticise me, do so truthfully': Pope Leo slams Trump over Iran nuclear claims
Leo, meanwhile, has not backed down. "If anyone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the gospel, let them do so with the truth," he said. "The church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years; there is no doubt about that. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of God's word." Notably, the Church's opposition to all nuclear weapons, not endorsement of any country having them, directly contradicts Trump's characterisation of Leo's stance, a misrepresentation the pope has now corrected publicly on multiple occasions.
