WASHINGTON, Dec 9: US President Donald Trump dismissed Pope Leo XIV’s criticisms of his aggressive immigration agenda, saying he’s not seen the pontiff’s remarks.
Leo recently offered strong support for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops criticising the “vilification” of migrants and raids that have sown fear in immigrant communities.
Leo said the US should use its justice system to handle immigration violations, “treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.” In a Politico interview, Trump responded: “You know, they didn’t like the wall. The wall turned out to be great.” Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, criticised Trump’s first-term immigration policies, including expanding the US-Mexico border wall.
Trump told Politico he’d still be interested in meeting Leo, the first US-born pontiff, and the president noted without prompting that he especially likes one of Leo’s brothers who’s a Trump supporter.
“Do you know his brother is serious MAGA?” Trump said. (AP)
