Pope meeting Brandon Johnson, mayor of his hometown Chicago, sparks sharp, divided reactions

Pope Leo XIV’s meeting last week with progressive Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson at the Vatican in Rome has drawn mixed reactions including one from President Trump. 

Johnson said after the meeting Thursday that he and the pope discussed U.S. policies under Trump, specifically the Iran conflict and immigration enforcement. 

Johnson sharply criticized Trump, calling him a "disgrace" and a "tyrant" for getting the U.S. involved in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel. 

“Illegal wars do not leave just a trail of tears and trauma, but it also harms and brutalize our humanity,” Johnson said in a press briefing after the meeting. “The economic drive with which (Trump) is moving is selfish.”

Trump on Saturday responded unfavorably to the meeting.

"Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!" he wrote on Truth Social. 

He and the pope exchanged barbs last month on social media about the issue – after Leo said "enough of war," without directly mentioning the U.S.-Israel one with Iran.

Trump in the post also called the pope "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

The Vatican does not appear to have provided a public readout or statement about the pope's private meeting with Johnson. However, EWTN News, formerly known as the Catholic News Agency, recapped it in an Instagram post that included responses from Johnson. 

Johnson said that Leo’s outlook on Trump was mainly a disagreement with his approach to leadership. 

While some comments under the post were positive, many were critical of the pontiff. One user called the meeting “pathetic,” citing the current crime and homicide levels in Chicago, and another said the meeting was “horrible PR for the Catholic Church” because of Johnson’s stance that abortion is healthcare.

A commenter also said that Leo’s critique of Trump but apparent support of a “socialist who's done nothing to stop black-on -black murder, and is making life miserable for the masses in a once-great city,” doesn’t make sense.

However, others expressed appreciation for the meeting; one user said that while the two are on different ends of the political spectrum, they both understand that “we must all work together for the common good.”

Yet another user mentioned that anyone who says they're Catholic but claims Leo is not their Pope has committed schism, which the Catholic Church views as a canonical crime.

Johnson also invited Leo to visit Chicago, the pontiff’s native city, and offer a Catholic Mass at the city’s Grant Park.

“Ultimately, it will be his decision whether his schedule allows him to come,” the mayor said. “Some of the greatest voices for justice come from the city of Chicago. And that beloved city, of course, birthed Pope Leo XIV.”