Trump says Pope Leo XIV elected only thanks to him

WASHINGTON, April 13. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV, saying the pontiff was elected only thanks to the United States. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was dissatisfied with the pope, who does not approve of US actions against Venezuela. "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump," he wrote. "If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo’s weak on crime, weak on nuclear weapons, does not sit well with me," Trump noted. On April 11, Pope Leo XIV delivered an anti-war sermon at St. Peter’s Basilica. "Death enslaves those who have turned their backs on the living God, turning themselves and their own power into a mute, blind and deaf idol. Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!" the pontiff said. Observers note that the pope’s recent sermons contain direct references to developments in the Middle East and criticism of the US administration.