Catholics Respond to Trump's Criticism of Pope Leo XIV

President Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV as  “weak on crime" and too liberal has ignited a firestorm — and Catholics are fighting back. Trump's Truth Social post drew sharp rebukes from Catholic leaders across the country, including three American Cardinals, who called his remarks deeply disrespectful of the Pope — the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. Meanwhile, Catholic members of Trump's own cabinet — Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — were pressed to respond to the clash between the President and the pontiff. Adding fuel to the fire: Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ, drawing even wider condemnation. To make sense of this moment, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan sits down with Dr. Peter C. Phan, Professor of Catholic Social Teaching at Georgetown University. Together they explore: Why Pope Leo XIV — an Augustinian — spoke out against war Augustine's just war theory and its relevance today Why conservative evangelicals see Trump as a messianic figure How some believe the war in Iran is hastening the Second Coming of Jesus