Tensions between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV escalated on Monday, with the U.S. president doubling down on his criticism of the pontiff and ruling out any apology.

Speaking during a hastily arranged exchange with reporters at the White House, Trump defended his earlier remarks about the pope’s stance on the Iran war and brushed aside backlash over a now-deleted social media image that appeared to cast him in a Christ-like role.

“He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,” Trump said, adding, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things, so I’m not” going to apologize.

“He went public,” the Republican president added. “I’m just responding to Pope Leo.”

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The sharp response came after Leo addressed Trump’s criticisms a day earlier, insisting that the Vatican’s calls for peace stem from religious conviction rather than politics. Speaking to Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, the pope rejected the framing of his message.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. “And I’m sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”

The exchange has widened an already growing divide between the two figures as the U.S. military campaign in Iran enters its seventh week.

Leo, the first American-born pope, was careful to note that his remarks were not aimed at any individual, even as he maintained a firm stance against war and in favor of diplomacy.

“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for,” he said.

“I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,” he added.

At the center of the controversy was a social media post Trump shared Sunday night. The image showed him in flowing robes, placing his hands on a sick man as light radiated outward, while onlookers watched. Critics, including some of his evangelical base, saw it as an inappropriate religious comparison.

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Trump dismissed that interpretation, insisting the image had been misunderstood.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,” Trump said. “It’s supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better.”

He blamed the “fake news” for the backlash. The post was later removed without explanation.

The dispute intensified after Leo’s remarks over the weekend, when he warned during a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica that a “delusion of omnipotence” was driving the U.S.-Israel campaign in Iran. His comments coincided with renewed diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Iran taking place in Pakistan under a fragile ceasefire.

Those negotiations are being led by Vice President JD Vance, who sought to downplay the controversy. Appearing on Fox News, Vance described Trump’s post as “a joke” and defended the president’s unfiltered approach to social media.

“Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor,” Vance said of the post.

The pope’s criticism sharpened further after Trump warned of potential large-scale strikes on Iranian infrastructure, writing online that “an entire civilization will die tonight.” Leo condemned the rhetoric as a “threat against the entire people of Iran” and called it “truly unacceptable.”

Trump, however, has continued to expand his criticism beyond the war itself, questioning the pope’s leadership and motives in a series of posts and remarks.

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote, adding, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

In another post, he claimed Leo’s election was tied to his American background and suggested it was intended to counter his presidency.

“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump wrote, adding, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”

Speaking to reporters after landing Sunday, Trump continued the attacks. “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,” he said, adding, “He’s a very liberal person.”

The remarks drew concern from within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by the president’s tone.

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“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician,” Coakley said in a statement. “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”