WASHINGTON — Catholic Democratic senators rallied behind Pope Leo XIV after President Donald Trump called the first American-born pontiff “weak on crime,” blasting the president’s broadside as a step too far — even by Trump’s standards.
Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) summed up the sentiment of his colleagues with characteristic simplicity.
“I’m with Team Pope,” Welch told Raw Story on Wednesday. “What can you say?”
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) took a more pointed approach, noting the logical absurdity of Trump’s attack.
“The Pope does not have a law enforcement agency under its control,” Markey said. “The Pope only stands for justice and fairness to make sure that innocent people like Jesus Christ is not illegally prosecuted. And the same thing is true now for the illegal prosecution of immigrants in the United States.”
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA), a lifelong Catholic, was appalled by the president’s comments.
“That’s just sad. That’s disgraceful,” Lynch said. “It’s crazy.”
Trump’s attack on Leo came after the pontiff criticized the administration’s Iran war, calling the escalation of violence “unacceptable” and warning against the “delusion of omnipotence.” Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Leo “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy.”
The feud marked an extraordinary moment in American political history.
Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, last year became the first American-born pope. Trump’s attacks on him proved uniquely jarring for the roughly 20 percent of Americans who identify as Catholic, a voting bloc Trump carried by double digits in 2024.
Trump has also separately posted and deleted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, drawing condemnation from Catholic bishops, evangelical leaders, and even some of his most loyal MAGA supporters.
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