Donald Trump Targets Pope Leo XIV as Barack Obama Link Raises Questions

Pope Leo XIV's clandestine meeting with Democratic strategist David Axelrod on April 9 has prompted people to come up with all sorts of conjectures. The pontiff's association with Axelrod, who served as a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, in the wake of the year's midterm elections, suggests a significant announcement, experts believe.

The meeting has sparked speculations that Pope Leo, who originally hails from Chicago, is gearing up to formally meet with Donald Trump or announce a new communications strategy. Or, as many voices in the political circle have pointed out, is it a hint at a possible presidential run?

The world is witnessing Pope Leo clash with President Donald Trump over the Iran conflict in real time. After the pontiff publicly criticized the U.S. attacks on Iran, calling it “absurd and inhuman violence,” Trump went on a long rant on Truth Social. He also told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that he is “not a fan” of him. "I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime."

However, all speculations aside, is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church allowed to run for president? Taking to his X account, Christopher Hale, a Democratic activist, posted about the meeting between the two Chicago natives in detail. Hale, who is the author of the Substack titled “Letters from Leo,” posted, “Donald Trump hasn't even spoken to the Pope. Obama may meet him first.”​

He further pointed out, “Pope Leo XIV is a registered voter in Will County, Illinois. He re-registered at this address after leaving Peru in 2023. He voted in every recent Republican primary before Donald Trump won the nomination in 2016. He also voted in the 2024 presidential election.”

Hale, who supervised national Catholic outreach for Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, came to the conclusion that the Pope most likely will not run for president. He said, "The pope is not going to run for president. He's legally able to, but he’s not going to. He's also still a registered voter who voted absentee in the 2024 general election. We just don't know who he voted for."

In a conversation with USA TODAY, Hale further explained that due to the church's Canon law that prohibits clergy from holding public office, the Pope will not be allowed to seek a presidential run.

His theory is backed by Father Francis X. Clooney, a professor of divinity and comparative theology at the Harvard Divinity School. "The idea that clerics, people who are ordained, priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes, are pretty much told to stay out of politics. But, if there are issues for the good of the community, a priest or bishop can speak out, but it’s not likely they would run for any public office."