Nicolai Haugsted
Pope Leo XIV chooses words carefully—but the message to Trump is hard to miss.
America got plenty of praise from Pope Leo XIV during his first interview with a U.S. television network since becoming head of the Catholic Church. Hidden among the compliments, however, was a familiar message about immigration that many observers are likely to see as another swipe at Donald Trump.
Speaking with NBC News from the Vatican’s Borgo Laudato Si’ gardens outside Rome, the Chicago-born pontiff reflected on the values he believes have defined the United States for generations—and why they still matter.
A reminder of America’s immigrant roots
Leo pointed to his own family history as proof that immigration has always been woven into the country’s identity.
“So many things. In a sense, speaking about principles, what America stands for, the sense of freedom, the sense of opportunity, the sense of having invited for generations people from around the world to be part of America.”
The pope then revealed how deeply those themes are rooted in his own background.
“I come from a family that—my grandparents were immigrants. On my mother’s side, we have people who were both slaves and slave owners.”
Referring to a genealogy study carried out last year, Leo said that personal history helped shape his appreciation for what he described as one of America’s greatest strengths: its long tradition of welcoming people from across the globe.
Long-running clash with Trump
Although the pope never mentioned Donald Trump by name during the interview, the timing of his remarks is unlikely to go unnoticed.
Relations between the Vatican and the White House have been strained over immigration for months. Trump has previously described Leo as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while the pope has repeatedly criticized the administration’s approach to migrants.
Leo has previously argued that Trump’s immigration policies are “inhuman” and has also insisted he has no intention of softening his position because of political pressure.
Different destination, different message
Despite the public disagreements, the White House invited the pope to attend celebrations marking the United States’ 250th anniversary in Washington.
Leo will be somewhere very different instead.
Rather than heading across the Atlantic for the festivities, the Vatican announced that the pontiff will travel to the Italian island of Lampedusa—a symbolic gateway for migrants who survive the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean.
Given Leo’s repeated emphasis on immigration and humanitarian issues, the choice of destination is likely to speak almost as loudly as anything he said during the interview.
