Rubio discusses the Middle East with pope after Trump dispute

Flavia Rotondi and Donato Paolo Mancini, Bloomberg News on May 7, 2026

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican to discuss the conflict in the Middle East, following a public clash between the pontiff and President Donald Trump in recent weeks.

Rubio and the pope spoke about “topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere,” the State Department said in a statement Thursday. “The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity.”

The pontiff, Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were embroiled in a disagreement last month over the pope’s condemnation of the war in Iran. Trump said Meloni lacked courage and that he was “shocked” by her after she called his tirades against the Pope “unacceptable.”

Rubio, who was at the Vatican for about two hours on Thursday, has insisted the trip isn’t meant to ease tensions and had long been planned. He’s also scheduled to meet with Meloni and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani Friday.

Rubio is Catholic and a potential Republican candidate for the 2028 presidential election, and Trump’s public fight with the pope could alienate a key demographic.

Trump continued criticizing the pope this week, saying the pontiff was “endangering” Catholics and that he probably tolerated Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons.

In an indirect response, Leo said: “If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully.”

Relations between Washington and Rome, which is traditionally a political supporter of the Vatican, have also been strained by the war on Iran, with Italy recently denying the U.S. use of a base for combat purposes.