House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that he was “taken a little bit aback” by recent comments from Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope. While speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Johnson defended President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as they clashed with the Vatican over the ongoing U.S.-Israel war in Iran.
Johnson made it clear that he respects religious leaders and supports free speech as well as the free exercise of religion. However, he added that when a pope or any cleric steps into political issues, they should expect a political response in return.
“I’m not one to criticize clerics and religious leaders,” Johnson said. “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.”
The tension began when Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Order of St. Augustine, strongly criticized the war in Iran. In his Easter address and other statements, the pope has called for peace, condemned violence, and referenced the Catholic teaching of “just war” — a framework for deciding when a war is morally acceptable. He also said that Jesus does not hear the prayers of those with “blood on their hands,” a remark that particularly surprised Johnson.
President Trump has pushed back hard. He accused the pope of being “terrible for foreign policy” and posted on social media that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent protesters in recent months. Trump stressed that allowing Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is “absolutely unacceptable” and said he will not apologize to the pope.
Vice President JD Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the U.S. government, also entered the debate. He warned Pope Leo to “be careful” when discussing theology and suggested the pontiff should stick more closely to spiritual matters rather than weighing in on complex foreign policy issues.
Johnson pointed out that Trump and Vance have access to highly classified information in secure briefings, giving them a deeper understanding of the serious stakes involved in the conflict with Iran.
“There’s a time to every purpose under heaven,” Johnson said, quoting scripture. He added that the president’s and vice president’s comments show their awareness of the high risks in the current situation.
The speaker also noted that he does not want to get into a theological debate with the pope. “I certainly respect the pope,” he said. “I would just say that these are matters that people of good faith and good sense can debate and think through.”
This latest exchange comes one day after Johnson asked Trump to remove an AI-generated image the president had posted of himself in a Christ-like pose. Trump deleted the image but told reporters he thought it depicted him as a doctor.
Pope Leo XIV has said he does not wish to debate Trump directly and has continued to urge world leaders to seek peaceful solutions. Catholic leaders around the world have echoed his calls to end the fighting.
The feud highlights a rare public disagreement between the White House and the Vatican. It raises questions about the proper role of religious leaders in commenting on international conflicts and how political figures should respond when faith-based voices enter policy debates.
As the situation develops, both sides appear firm in their positions: the Trump administration focused on national security threats from Iran, and the pope emphasizing moral teachings on war and peace.