House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) chimed in on the feud between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV.
The conflict between the two started when the pope criticized the Trump administration over the war in Iran and its immigration enforcement policies. During a Wednesday press conference, a reporter asked what Johnson thought of Trump’s and Vice President JD Vance’s comments about the pope.
“Listen, I'm not one to criticize clerics and religious leaders,” Johnson began. “We defend free speech. We certainly defend the right to free exercise of religion. A pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want. But obviously, if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response. And I think the pope's received some of that.”
Johnson continued, saying he “was taken a little bit aback” about the pope’s comments on Jesus not hearing the prayers of those who engage in war. “You know, it is a very well-settled matter of Christian theology,” the lawmaker said.
There's something called the just war doctrine. There's a time to every purpose under heaven. I think what the president’s comments, what the Vice President's comments reflect is their understanding deep in… the SCIF and the classified briefings of the stakes that are so high and the situation that we're facing and the fact that you had the nation that was the largest sponsor of terrorism now having had that ability taken away from them. That means potentially millions of innocent people will be able to keep their lives and not be killed by terrorists.
Mike Johnson says the Pope had it coming: "A religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously if you wade into political waters, you should expect some political response and I think the Pope has received some of that. Frankly I was taken a bit aback by him saying… pic.twitter.com/QIaohyNUHy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 15, 2026
Recommended
Mike Johnson says the Pope should be quiet?
— Cherry07 (@Cherry07Ca) April 15, 2026
This is the most crazy thing I have ever heard!
A religious leader's job is to protect peace and life, not to support "just wars" that kill thousands of people.
Does Johnson think he knows Jesus better than the Pope?
Some people…
President Trump responded to the pope’s criticism by accusing him of being “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible” for foreign policy. He urged Pope Leo to “stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a politician.”
Trump also claimed that if he wasn’t in office, this particular pope would not have been chosen for his position.
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