Trump versus Pope Leo: A self-inflicted knockout blow 

The gloves are off. Ladies and gentlemen, and fight fans from around the world, welcome to a historic night!

In the left corner, the challenger, in the white robe and wearing the white zucchetto on his head, the spiritual leader of the single largest religious organization in the U.S., the apostle of the Gospel, the Chicago Cherubim, Pope Leo XIV!

And in the right corner, in the red tie and wearing the MAGA baseball cap, the Anti-Vaccines of Queens, who can knock any ancient civilization back into the Stone Age, the champion, President Donald Trump!  

Let’s get ready to rumble. 

Trump is a master of political pugilism. He jabs, he hooks, he switches positions. He uppercuts, he posts, he deletes and dials back. He changes strategy, he bombs, he invades, he assassinates, he blockades.

Pope Leo is newer to the game. The fight started with Leo’s calling for peace in response to the war in Iran, warning of the “delusion of omnipotence.” It escalated when Trump accused Leo of being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”  

Trump led with his chin, continuing his attacks with another social media post: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months.”

Of course, under Trump, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol are tied to at least eight deaths, including the killing of two unarmed protesters. 

Not to be intimidated, the pope responded with a double negative: “I have no fear neither of the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the........

© The Hill