Chicago has spent decades building a reputation that is difficult to envy. High crime rates, chronic fiscal problems, political scandals, and a city government that often seems more interested in symbolism than solutions have become recurring themes. So when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson traveled to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope and a native son of the Windy City, it did not take long for President Trump to weigh in.
The meeting itself appeared cordial enough. Johnson led a 46-member delegation to visit the pontiff, bringing along several gifts that reflected the pope’s Chicago roots. Among them were honorary degrees from DePaul and Loyola universities, jars of giardiniera, and an assortment of Chicago Cubs memorabilia. That last gift carried a bit of irony since Pope Leo XIV is known to be a White Sox fan, but the pope accepted it with a smile.
Photos from the visit showed Johnson presenting the pope with a miniature Chicago flag and posing with him while holding a Cubs hat. The images quickly circulated online, drawing attention not only because of the historic nature of the pope’s American background but also because of the political personalities involved.
President Trump was clearly unimpressed.
Reacting to the meeting on Truth Social, President Trump wrote, “Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!”
The post was vintage Trump, combining criticism of a political rival with concerns about a major foreign policy issue. While the comment sparked predictable outrage among critics, it also drew support from many social media users who have grown frustrated with the direction of Chicago under Johnson’s leadership.
Johnson, naturally, did not let the criticism pass unanswered.
Responding to President Trump’s remarks, the mayor issued a statement saying, “Chicagoans have had more than enough of Trump’s blasphemous war in Iran. Someone should explain to the president that he’s only making it harder for working families to make ends meet.”
The exchange highlighted the growing divide between the two men. President Trump has repeatedly criticized Democrat-led cities over crime, public safety, and governance issues. Chicago frequently finds itself at the center of those discussions due to its long-running struggles with violent crime and political dysfunction.
Meanwhile, Johnson described his conversation with Pope Leo XIV as focusing on social justice and the pope’s comments regarding slavery. According to the mayor, the meeting ultimately felt less like a gathering of world leaders and more like a conversation between two Chicago natives who happened to hold very different jobs.
Of course, one of those jobs involves leading the Catholic Church’s more than one billion followers worldwide. The other involves running a city that continues searching for answers to problems that have frustrated residents for generations.
That contrast may explain why President Trump’s comments resonated with many Americans who believe Chicago’s leadership should spend less time posing for photographs abroad and more time addressing challenges back home.
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