The running feud between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran has pulled in a lot of voices over the past several months. Now the drama has pulled in Robert Jeffress. He is the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, a Fox News contributor, and one of Trump’s fiercest evangelical defenders. On Saturday, Jeffress hopped onto Fox News Live and made remarks that quickly sparked reactions online.
The clip, shared by journalist Aaron Rupar on X, showed Jeffress on air right after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the Pope in Rome. Jeffress said he respects the Pope’s faith but thinks he is wrong on Iran.
He set up his argument: God gave the church and government different jobs. The church guides people spiritually, and the government, according to Romans 13, protects citizens from evil. Then Jeffress recalled sitting in the Oval Office with Trump, just days into the conflict, listening as Trump warned faith leaders that Iran was only weeks away from getting a weapon that could wipe out Israel and threaten America.
“I thanked him then for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation,” Jeffress said. He later added, “The great irony is it looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the Pope has.”
Internet Reacts To Texas Pastor Claiming Trump Knows the Bible Better Than Pope Leo XIV
The comment section did not take long to find its footing. “Trump knows more about everything than anyone – just ask him,” one person wrote. Another went further: “Even if Jesus comes down and says Trump is wrong, MAGA will still tell you that Trump understands the Gospel better than Jesus.”
The credibility gap was a recurring theme. “The Pope’s understanding of the Bible is a combination of rigorous study and spiritual guidance – that is why the Pope holds a unique, central role in interpretation. It isn’t something a man who never reads like Trump can challenge,” one comment read. Another framed it as a pattern rather than an incident: “As I’ve said for a while now, the last ten years has shown us all who the grifters are — not only in the Republican party, but among religious leaders as well.”
One comment cut to what many saw as the real dynamic underneath the theology: “Isn’t it incredible how quickly these right-wing Christians are willing to turn away from God and Jesus in order to throw their utter devotion behind a man who they see as their ability to make money and attain power.”
Some users, however, agreed with Jeffress, arguing that government leaders and religious leaders serve different roles. Others defended Jeffress, arguing that political leaders and religious leaders often approach international conflicts differently.
The clash between Trump and Pope Leo XIV heated up last June, after the Pope condemned US-Israeli strikes on Iran, saying war only makes things worse. Leo has held his ground, responding to Trump’s claims about nuclear threats by stating the Church opposes all nuclear weapons. Trump fired back, dubbing Leo “WEAK on Crime” on Truth Social and accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” for his stance on Iran.
Pope Leo has spent nearly fifty years climbing through institutions rooted in biblical scholarship and theology, and he was elected Pope by a College of Cardinals prized for their scriptural expertise.
