Trump reveals message he asked Marco Rubio to convey to Pope Leo during Vatican meeting

WASHINGTON, DC: After directing a barrage of jibes toward Pope Leo XIV, President Donald Trump had an important message that he wanted Marco Rubio to deliver to the pontiff in person.

The secretary of state met with the American-born Catholic leader on Thursday, May 7, in the first meeting between the pope and a Trump Cabinet official in nearly a year.

The meeting in the Vatican City came amid escalating tension between Trump and the pontiff over the ongoing Iran conflict.

However, Rubio denied the claims that the trip was meant to ease tensions with the Trump administration after the president portrayed himself as a Christ-like figure in a heavily criticized social media post and repeatedly attacked the pope over his calls for peace.

Trump reveals his message for Pope Leo

The 79-year-old commander-in-chief was addressing the press at the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool when he was asked whether he had a message for Rubio to pass along to the pope.

“I just said, tell the pope very nicely, very respectfully, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

“Also, tell the pope that Iran killed 42,000 innocent protesters who didn’t have guns, who didn’t have weapons. Tell that to the pope,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the pontiff for condemning the war in Iran since the conflict began on February 28, at one point falsely claiming the pope supported Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.

He previously took to his Truth Social to declare that the pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The president repeated the claims on ‘The Hugh Hewitt Show’, where he also said that “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people, but I guess, if it’s up to the Pope.”

Marco Rubio and Pope Leo’s awkward gift exchange

The secretary of state’s meeting with Pope Leo started on an awkward note. Standing in the pontiff’s private library overlooking St Peter's Basilica, the two took part in the longstanding diplomatic custom of exchanging gifts.

Leo presented Rubio with an olive branch encased in wood and emblazoned with the pontificate’s coat of arms, describing it as “the plant of peace.” Rubio presented the Pope with a palm-sized crystal football.

“Wow, OK,” said Leo. “What to get someone who has everything, I thought,” said Rubio while holding the keepsake.

In a statement, the Vatican said the two leaders “exchanged views” on major global issues, including the conflict in the Middle East and the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace.”