In late September 2025, an alleged quote attributed to Pope Leo XIV began circulating online, purportedly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump.
One Threads post (archived) gained over 16,000 likes, more than 250 comments and was shared over 2,000 times, as of this writing. It read, "I have so much respect for this Pope. Apparently, he's not worried about being on the idiot's hit list! Thank you Pope Leo!"
(Threads user @azturtlesherri)
According to the post, Pope Leo XIV once said:
Pope Leo XIV: Trump is not a savior; he is a mirror-reflecting your hatred, anger, and fear. He could have walked the path of light and hope, but instead he chose the road of darkness, bitterness, and lies. His words mislead, his attacks divide, and his greed for power is tearing this nation apart. Look into your mirror and see what he is shaping you into. You can choose God, hope, and joy-not the evil Trump pushes.
Remember: God does not preach hatred or fear. So why follow a man who does?
Social media users shared the alleged quote on social media platforms including Instagram and Facebook.
However, there was no evidence that Pope Leo XIV ever publicly made the statement in question. If he had, such remarks would almost certainly have been reported by major news outlets. As such, we have rated this claim as incorrectly attributed.
We reached out to the Holy See Press Office for a comment and will update this story if we receive a response.
Fake pope Leo XIV quotes keep circulating
A Google search indicated that the quote in question circulated exclusively on social media and had not been reported on by any reputable news outlets or official Vatican sources.
(Google search)
Additionally, the vague and generic language of the quote could be a sign of artificial-intelligence (AI) generation.
In May 2025, the Vatican addressed the issue of fake quotes attributed to Pope Leo XIV, stating, "It is worth recalling — given the circulation on various social media of texts attributed to the new Pope without source indication — that all of Pope Leo XIV's speeches, addresses, and texts can be consulted in full at vatican.va."
In fact, we have previously fact-checked multiple fabricated quotes attributed to Pope Leo XIV. One widely shared example claimed he once said, "You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself, and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test you. And many are failing." We also debunked a video allegedly showing Pope Leo XIV saying of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, "You flip flop faster than pages in the Bible."
For further reading, in another article we covered Pope Leo XIV's remarks on Trump in September 2025.