Texas pastor Robert Jeffress is not backing away from President Donald Trump’s fight with Pope Leo XIV.
The Dallas megachurch pastor and regular Fox News contributor defended Trump after the president criticized the Pope’s comments on Iran and nuclear weapons. Jeffress went even further, claiming Trump has a stronger grasp of what the Bible says about government power than the leader of the Catholic Church.
“And you know, the great irony is it looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the Pope has, and I’m glad the president hasn’t backed down at all,” Jeffress said during a Fox News interview.
Texas Pastor Says Pope Is ‘Sincerely Wrong’
Jeffress, who leads the 14,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, said he believes the Trump administration was right to meet with Pope Leo XIV. Still, he made clear that he does not agree with the pontiff’s view on Iran.
“Look, I think it’s commendable that the Trump administration is meeting with the Pope and trying to work with the Pope,” Jeffress said. “The Pope is a good man. He’s sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran.”
The pastor then framed the issue through Scripture, pointing to Romans 13. “The Pope ought to know, and I think he does know, God created both the church and government for two distinct purposes,” Jeffress continued. “The role of the church is to point people to faith in Jesus Christ, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evildoers, according to Romans 13.”
That was the core of his argument. In Jeffress’ view, Trump was not just making a political call. He was fulfilling what the pastor described as a God-given responsibility.
Jeffress Says Trump Discussed Iran In Oval Office
Jeffress also claimed he had spoken with Trump directly about Iran.
“And look, 3 days after this conflict began, I was in the Oval Office with President Trump and a few other faith leaders,” Jeffress said. “And he told us that Iran was within weeks of getting a powerful weapon that would destroy Israel, much of the Middle East, and could bring great harm to America.”
Jeffress said he thanked Trump for acting. “And he had no choice but to act, and I thanked him then for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation,” the pastor continued.
Trump Sends Message To Pope Leo XIV
This week, Trump sent Marco Rubio to Italy as an envoy to meet with the Pope. According to Trump, he wanted Rubio to deliver a direct message.
“I just said, ‘Tell the Pope, very nicely, very respectfully, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,’” Trump told reporters.
Trump also said Rubio should tell the Pope that “Iran killed 42,000 innocent protesters who didn’t have guns.”
The president has since accused Pope Leo XIV of being “weak on crime” and claimed the pontiff is “endangering a lot of Catholics” because “he thinks it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
The Pope did not name Trump directly in response. He did, however, speak about a world “ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” adding another sharp layer to a clash now mixing faith, foreign policy, and raw political heat.
