Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Pope Leo and Italian officials on Thursday, as the pontiff has become a startling vocal critic of the Trump administration's policies in recent months. The meeting will be the first between U.S. officials and the Vatican in around a year.
🚨 JUST IN: The greatest Sec. of State Marco Rubio will meet with POPE LEO on Thursday in Italy — Reuters
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 3, 2026
This would be the first known in-person encounter between Leo and a US cabinet official in almost a year
Marco will represent us with pride and CLASS! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/wOzvP4XeYY
🇺🇸🇻🇦 Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican Thursday to meet Pope Leo, the first face-to-face between the pontiff and a Trump admin official in about a year.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 3, 2026
Friday marks a year since Pope Leo became pontiff, and recently he's become one of the loudest voices against U.S. policy.… https://t.co/LyDn6zBIoH pic.twitter.com/Nmzl7EXZdu
This comes as President Trump and the Pope got into a social media battle in the last month, primarily over American foreign policy in Iran. It began when the Pope wrote in a statement on X that "God does not bless any conflict," which received heavy backlash online.
God doesn't bless any conflict?
— Nick Freitas (@NickJFreitas) April 10, 2026
Let me check this with Pharaoh's Army real quick…oh wait…how about the Canaanites…oh dang…Amelikites? Oops…Assyrians…crap… pic.twitter.com/tU6wgktEkM
The president responded in a post on Truth Social, writing that Pope Leo is “WEAK on crime and terrible for foreign policy,” and accusing him of “catering to the radical left.”
🚨 BOOM! President Trump fires back at Pope Leo.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 13, 2026
In a blistering Truth Social post, Trump calls out the Pope for being weak on crime, weak on foreign policy, and soft on Iran getting nuclear weapons.
He praises Pope Leo’s brother Louis for being “all MAGA” and says Leo should… pic.twitter.com/kwxEEB91Nq
Pope Leo was also critical of the ICE raids across the United States over the last year.
Pope Leo XIV has posted on X about migrants at least 14 times since becoming Pope.
— Matthew Perdie (@PerdieXAmerica) May 2, 2026
No mention of the 10,000s of Americans MURDERED by drunk driving illegals.
No mention from him of people RAPED by illegals.
Just victimization of migration that destroys western civilization. pic.twitter.com/OBC2rTPrx6
It remains unclear what Secretary Rubio and the Pope will discuss, though the hostilities are expected to be addressed.
