"That Trumpist view—that power is to be worshiped, that might makes right—can be dressed up in religious garb, whether through the unctuous sophistry of JD Vance or the grotesque weaponization of faith by Pete Hegseth. But the costume clearly doesn’t fit."

~ William Kristol

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/2

https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-father-the-don-and-the-fed-chairs-post-trump-powell-leo-pope-federal-reserve-tillis-iran-war

"The claim that we have no choice but to follow 'the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,' indeed that we should exult in doing so, is fundamentally at odds with a Judeo-Christian world view. ...

They’re attacking Pope Leo not simply because he’s the pope but because he’s the first American pope. He’s a threat to their ambition to change the meaning of America."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/3

"The Trumpists fear Pope Leo not simply because he’s defending the views, and speaking to the communicants, of his church. They fear him because he’s defending the principles, and speaking to the citizens, of his country. Of our country."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/4

"The president's blasphemy exposes the truth about the Christian right. …

Most evangelical influencers weren’t really angry so much as they were embarrassed that Trump said the quiet part out loud: He has supplanted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. ...

the Christian right is really not about worshipping God — it’s about worshipping power."

~ Amanda Marcotte

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/5

https://www.salon.com/2026/04/15/trump-is-right-he-is-magas-jesus/

“'I’m not afraid.'

With these three words Sunday morning, Pope Leo XIV offered as powerful a rebuke of President Trump and everything he has wrought on the world as anyone ever has.

Three words that mocked Trump for being the bully that he is.

Three words that undercut Trump’s self-hyped aura of invincibility."

~ Gustavo Arellano

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/6

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-14/pope-leo-isnt-afraid-of-president-trump-we-shouldnt-be-either

"Three words to inspire all good people to fight against Trump — because if a mild-mannered man of God such as Leo isn’t afraid, no one should be."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/7

Rick Wilson tells Wajahat Ali: "Let's bring up Jesus."

Then the screen shows a reporter asking Trump,

"Mr. President, did you post that picture of yourself depicted as Jesus Christ?"

Trump replies:

"Well, it wasn't a picture. It was me. I did post it. And I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/8

https://thelefthook.substack.com/p/rick-wilson-and-waj-discuss-trumps

"And only the fake news could come up with that one. So I just heard about it. And I said, how do they come up with that? It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better. I make people better. That's a disgrace."

The screen moves to journalist Chris Jansing talking to Trump voter John North about Trump comparing himself to Jesus then pretending he was depicting himself as a doctor.

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/9

John North says:

"I'm very upset about that. I mean, how egotistical can you possibly be? I'm ashamed that he would actually do that. The man I voted for and trust."

Rick Wilson concludes:

"When even Iran can troll you on the Pope and the Jesus meme, you seem like you've stepped in a religious minefield that is not going to get any better."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/10

"But If you were sharp and young and mentally agile, you might be able to work your way out of it.

Trump is not the Trump he was even two years ago, much less the Trump he was in 2016."

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/11

"Boy, you know, we are in some weird space. Indeed. I mean, there's a there's a concept, you know, it's something else that Donald Trump is quite familiar with since he was best friends with Jeffrey Epstein called grooming. And the right likes to accuse gay people of grooming everybody there around their grooming."

~ Robert B. Jones

#PopeLeo #Trump #Republicans #Catholics #DoctorTrump #power
/12

https://www.joyannreid.com/p/a-bad-week-for-the-ai-epstein-class