Donald Trump issues nuclear warning to Pope Leo and REFUSES to meet him

Donald Trump issues nuclear warning to Pope Leo and REFUSES to meet himDonald Trump told reporters outside the White House today that he would not be meeting Pope Leo - and issued a warning to the pontiff over Iran's nuclear capabilitiesCommentsNewsEthan Blackshaw Deputy Publishing Lead19:14, 16 Apr 2026Updated 19:28, 16 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesDonald Trump speaking to reporters outside the White House today(Image: AP)Donald Trump issued a nuclear warning to Pope Leo today - and refused to meet the pontiff.‌Speaking with reporters outside the White House before departing on Marine One today, Trump was questioned about Iran and the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and whether he would meet with the Pope following their public spat.‌This afternoon Pope Leo hit out at "tyrants" spending billions waging war around the world. Trump told reporters just now: "It's very important that the Pope understands... Iran killed 42,000 people that were totally unarmed."‌He added Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and said the Pope must understand this. Asked if he would meet with the Pope to "even out their differences", Trump said: "I don't think it's necessary."Content cannot be displayed without consentREAD MORE: Iran mocks Trump and Starmer as AI ‘Minions’ before pressing big red buttonREAD MORE: Iran war live: Israel and Lebanon 'agree ceasefire' as Trump can't resist bragTrump was also asked whether the row was upsetting his Catholic supporters. He said: "No, no, no, I don't. I have to do what's right."‌He added "I have nothing against the Pope" but "I can disagree with the Pope... I have a right to disagree with the Pope". Trump said he knows the Pope's brother - and claimed he was "MAGA all the way".This all comes amid a growing back and forth between the Pope and Trump, with the US president attacking the pontiff over his criticism of the Iran w...