Story perspectives

Trump Shares Pastor Claim He Knows Bible Better Than Pope

5/11/2026

Summary

Trump Reposts Clip

U.S. President Donald Trump reposted a clip in which Pastor Robert Jeffress said Trump knows the Bible better than Pope Leo XIV.
Jeffress, a Dallas pastor on Trump’s advisory board, made the remark during Senator Marco Rubio’s Vatican meeting, calling the pope wrong on Iran and citing Romans 13 to justify presidential force.
Trump added that the pope is weak on crime, and viewers responded angrily, accusing Jeffress of letting loyalty eclipse theology.

Summary

Pope Rejects Threats

Pope Leo XIV called President Donald Trump's threats to Iran “unacceptable,” prompting the White House to withdraw the threats within hours.
Archbishop Cupich, Bishop Tobin, Bishop McElroy, Bishop Broglio and Cardinal Parolin publicly closed ranks around Pope Leo XIV despite ideological differences.
Jeffress’s reliance on Romans 13 to justify assassination directly conflicts with the Church’s doctrine that such force is illegitimate, a teaching that predates Romans 13 and endures beyond media attacks.

History

Historical Context

The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, promoted as a pre-emptive war by President George W. Bush, provoked sharp Vatican criticism from Pope John Paul II, who called the attack a blasphemy and urged UN diplomacy. Worldwide anti-war protests that year drew about 36 million people, underscoring enduring friction between American political leaders and Catholic doctrine on foreign policy.

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Trump Reposts Clip

U.S. President Donald Trump reposted a clip in which Pastor Robert Jeffress said Trump knows the Bible better than Pope Leo XIV.
Jeffress, a Dallas pastor on Trump’s advisory board, made the remark during Senator Marco Rubio’s Vatican meeting, calling the pope wrong on Iran and citing Romans 13 to justify presidential force.
Trump added that the pope is weak on crime, and viewers responded angrily, accusing Jeffress of letting loyalty eclipse theology.

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