Pope accuses Trump of untruths over Iran nuclear programme
Rubio appears to defend Trump’s false claim that Pope wants Iran to have a nuke
Pope Leo has dismissed Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claim that the pontiff is “endangering Catholics” by supporting Iran’s nuclear programme.
Trump alleged that the Pope believes “it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”, without providing any evidence for the claim.
The Pope, without naming Trump, said that the Catholic Church has consistently opposed all nuclear weapons, adding: “If someone wants to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully.”
The dispute comes ahead of a meeting between the Pope and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expected to involve a “frank conversation” about the Trump administration’s policies.
This is not the first clash between the pair, as Trump previously criticised the Pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.
