Rubio will visit the Vatican as Trump-pope tensions rise
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and Vatican City to ease tensions between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, focusing on U.S. policies and the Iran war.
- Rubio, a Catholic, is scheduled to meet Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, to discuss Middle East issues and shared security interests with Italian counterparts.
- The visit follows a public dispute in which Trump criticized the pope's stance on immigration and the Iran war, and posted a controversial social media image likening himself to Jesus Christ.
- The conflict has affected Italian politics, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opposing Trump's comments about the pope, while Trump criticizes NATO allies over support for the Iran war.
- Rubio has previously traveled to Italy twice as Secretary of State and is often tasked with moderating or explaining Trump's rhetoric in Europe and the Middle East.
