# Trump vs the Pope: Politics, faith and power

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487/trump-vs-the-pope-politics-faith-and-power
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487/trump-vs-the-pope-politics-faith-and-power.md
Podcast: [USSC Briefing Room](https://stenobird.com/podcast/ussc-briefing-room-6425487)
Published: 2026-04-29T14:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/1579f224
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/1579f224/a153a343.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ussc-briefing-room-6425487/episodes/trump-vs-the-pope-politics-faith-and-power
Duration seconds: 2622

## Resource

Throughout March and April, Pope Leo XIV began speaking out against the war in Iran and the violence, saying it was an “unjust war.” Shortly after 60 Minutes aired an episode with Catholic officials criticising the war, President Trump started attacking the Pope on social and then shared the now-infamous image of Trump as a Christ-like figure. Why are both the Pope and Donald Trump so focused on speaking out against each other? What is the political fallout of the “Jesus Trump” image? Is this war of words unique or just par for the course? Associate Professor David Smith joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. David teaches American Politics and Foreign Policy at the USSC and is also an expert on the history of religious persecution in America. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts , Spotify and YouTube . Produced by: Elliott Brennan Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

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## Transcript

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