Trump manages to make Pope Leo’s cancer diagnosis about himself

Donald Trump’s relationship with the Vatican has been anything but straightforward, with political disagreements repeatedly putting the American president at odds with Pope Leo XIV.

Their differences over immigration, foreign policy and the war with Iran have made headlines, while the pontiff’s family has presented Trump with a rather unusual political contrast.

Now, a serious health announcement concerning the Catholic Church’s leader has brought that complicated relationship back into focus.

Asked about the pope’s reported cancer diagnosis, Trump initially offered his sympathy before steering the conversation toward a considerably more familiar subject: his own supporters.

And it turns out that one of his favorite MAGA enthusiasts happens to be the pope’s older brother.

A health update takes a political detour

The 80-year-old president was speaking to reporters at Bullhead International Airport on Wednesday following a campaign rally in Arizona.

A journalist asked about Pope Leo XIV, 71, after the Vatican reportedly announced that he had undergone surgery for lung cancer.

According to the report, doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung after identifying pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

The Vatican said the operation had gone according to plan, although the stage of the reported cancer was not disclosed.

“The surgery was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room,” the Vatican said in a statement quoted by the outlet.

Trump began his response by expressing concern for the pontiff.

“I want to see Pope Leo get well,” he told reporters.

“I hear the prognosis for that type of a problem… it’s a cancer, it’s big stuff anytime you have cancer, but the prognosis seems to be good. I’ve watched… and we just want to wish him our love and our best wishes.”

However, his remarks soon moved away from the pope’s medical situation.

Trump brings MAGA into the conversation

Rather than continuing to discuss the pontiff’s recovery, Trump began praising Leo’s older brother, Louis Prevost.

Prevost has publicly expressed his support for the president and the MAGA movement, making him a politically unusual figure within the family of a pope who has criticized several Trump administration policies.

“His brother’s a friend of mine who’s a great… he’s a fantastic guy and his wife,” Trump said.

The president then highlighted something he appeared particularly pleased about.

“You know, they’re big Trump supporters,” he continued.

“They have MAGA all over their house. And I can say that his brother loves him a lot, loves the pope a lot and that’s good. That’s good enough for me. But I just want to wish him well. Get better fast.”

The response offered a glimpse of the president’s unusual connection to the papal family, with Trump’s enthusiasm for Louis Prevost taking up a substantial part of his answer about the pope.

Two brothers with very different politics

Pope Leo and his older brother have taken markedly different public positions on several issues associated with Trump’s presidency.

The pontiff has criticized aspects of the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, including immigration raids, and has spoken out against the war with Iran.

He previously described certain immigration measures as “extremely disrespectful.”

Louis Prevost, meanwhile, has openly embraced Trump and the MAGA movement.

His social media activity has included praise for the president alongside attacks on Democrats and transgender people.

He also previously shared a video containing a deeply offensive insult directed at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The political divide has not prevented the brothers from maintaining their family relationship, although it has given Trump plenty of material for public commentary.

Trump has already made his preference clear

The president’s admiration for Louis Prevost is hardly a recent development.

Trump welcomed him to the White House in May 2025, shortly after Leo became pope.

Before their meeting, Trump enthusiastically discussed his plans to greet the pontiff’s brother.

“Did you know that he lives in Florida? He’s got MAGA, he’s got Trump, and I look forward to getting him to the White House. I want to shake his hand. I want to give him a big hug,” Trump told reporters.

Their relationship has continued to attract attention.

Louis Prevost attended Trump’s 80th birthday mixed martial arts event at the White House in June and was photographed socializing with Vice President JD Vance.

He also sat beside Vance during Pope Leo’s inauguration at the Vatican in May 2025.

But Trump’s affection for the older brother has occasionally been accompanied by pointed criticism of the pope himself.

Previous clash exposed tensions with the Vatican

In an April post on Truth Social, Trump openly attacked Pope Leo’s political positions.

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote.

He then made his preference within the family unmistakably clear.

“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

Trump also claimed that the pontiff owed his position, at least indirectly, to the American president.

“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” he wrote.

The comments highlighted the political disagreements separating the two leaders, particularly over Iran and immigration.

Against that background, Trump’s latest remarks offered a noticeably more sympathetic message toward the pope, even as he returned to praising the family member whose politics align with his own.

According to the report, Pope Leo has canceled his scheduled audiences until October 20 while recovering from surgery.

This article is made and published by Nicolai H, who may have used AI in the preparation