‘Colossally Stupid’: Catholic MAGA Fan Bashes Trump on CNN Amid Pope Leo Feud

CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino went to mass on Sunday — to ask Catholics how they felt about President Donald Trump’s recent war of words with Pope Leo XIV.

Pazmino reported some Catholics in New York City — including those who count themselves among Trump’s Make America Great Again movement — are upset with the president criticizing the pope, after Leo recently shared his own criticism of the Iran war.

“I don’t think it helps the president at all. I think it’s colossally stupid,”  a woman named Anita Bauman told CNN. “And I say that as a Catholic and as a person who voted for Trump. But I think that it’s just not the battle to pick.”

Bauman added it is an “uncomfortable moment” and that she believes there are “better ways” for the two to disagree.

“I would rather see [Trump] try to come to some accord with the Holy Father and with the church’s position,” Bauman continued. “You know, I do think that things needed to be done in Iran.”

Another woman named Lola Reese told Pazmino she would like to see Trump “back off and kind of calm down” his “streak of little meanness here and there.”

And a man named Steve Gordon said he sees both sides to the feud, while church bells rang in the background. Gordon said he did not want to say which side he agreed with more, but that he believes there is a “space” for disagreement, but “you have to be careful about how you put out that message.”

Pazmino’s interviews come a week after Trump went off on Pope Leo in a searing social media rant on April 12. Trump ripped Leo for being “WEAK” on crime and the issue of a nuclear Iran, before adding he was a bigger fan of the pope’s brother, Louis Prevost, because he is a “big MAGA person.”

Trump’s post followed Pope Leo ramping up his criticism of the Iran war the week prior.

The pope condemned Trump’s threat to wipe out a “whole civilization” in Iran if its theocratic leaders did not make a deal, calling it “truly unacceptable.” He then spoke out against the war a few days later, saying, “God does not bless any conflict.”

Trump declined to apologize for his post against the pope last week, saying, “there’s nothing to apologize for. He’s wrong!” The president has also said the pope should be upset about tens of thousands of Iranian protesters being killed by the country’s theocratic regime.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) backed up Trump while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, saying that if the pope is going to weigh in on political topics, he “should expect some political response.”

Trump seemed to be aiming to tone down the war of words on Friday, telling reporters, “I have nothing against the pope… the pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants. But I can disagree.”

Pope Leo appeared to have the same plan on Saturday, saying he had no desire to amplify the “narrative” he was feuding with Trump.

Watch above via CNN.

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