Trump escalates Vatican feud, calls Pope Leo 'weak' on Iran
Donald Trump just picked a fight with 1.4 billion Catholics. After Pope Leo XIV condemned his threats to "destroy an entire civilization" if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump lashed out at the first American pontiff as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy." The Vatican had called Trump's ultimatum — complete with an 8pm Tuesday deadline — "truly unacceptable" violations of international law. While Trump announced a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire hours later, his attack on Pope Leo signals a dangerous escalation of church-state tensions that could cost him Catholic swing voters.
Sources
How Briefed reports and verifies storiesReport a correction
The market, before the open.
Briefed Daily connects the morning’s business and economic news to what matters in markets.