Since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has made some of the most severe criticisms of Trump.

Pope Leo XIV has called for "intense reflection" on the treatment of migrants in the United States, a country where, in his view, the controversial policy of mass deportations has had a profound impact on many people. The first American-born Pope, in one of his most severe criticisms to date of President Donald Trump's administration, also warned that the U.S. airstrikes on Venezuelan ships suspected of carrying drugs could escalate tensions in the region. He stated that there are individuals who have resided in the United States "for years and years without causing any problems, who have been deeply impacted" by Trump's hardline immigration policy.