Pro-Trump pastor claims president has ‘better understanding’ of Bible than Pope Leo

First Baptist Church senior pastor Robert Jeffress, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, argued on Fox News Saturday that he believed Trump to have a better understanding of biblical teachings than Pope Leo XIV.

Jeffress’ claim comes amid Trump’s ongoing feud with the head of the Catholic Church, prompted by Pope Leo’s generic criticism of war. Trump called Pope Leo “weak on crime” and accused him of “catering to the radical left” for what Trump considered to be a condemnation of his war against Iran.

“The pope is a good man, he’s sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran,” Jeffress told Fox News.

“The pope ought to know – and I think he does know – God created both the church and government for two distinct purposes," he said. "The role of the church is to point people to faith in Jesus Christ, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evil-doers.”

Jeffress said that he was “in the Oval Office” with Trump three days after the president launched the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran – dubbed Operation Epic Fury – and that it appeared to him as though Trump was better versed in the Bible than the pope himself.

“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!” Jeffress added. “And I’m glad the president hasn’t backed down at all.”