Athanasios Ellis
Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV, the language he used about the Pontiff, and even more so his post depicting himself as Jesus elicited strong reactions not only from his opponents and critics but also, and more importantly politically, from his supporters.
This is not just another isolated outburst that will quickly fade. The scale and substance of the response suggest a real rupture has formed. If the American president does not move quickly to repair it with corrective steps, and so far he has shown no intention of doing so, it is likely to carry serious political consequences.
It is telling that conservative voices who had been among his most loyal backers, including the Republican Speaker of the House, responded with unusually sharp criticism. Some went so far as to call it outright blasphemy.
A significant share of Trump’s voters, perhaps the most vocal segment, are deeply religious. An unnecessary direct clash with the head of the Catholic Church, especially posting an image of himself as Jesus, is not comparable to other political decisions such as a war with Iran, the imposition of tariffs, or disputes with long-standing U.S. allies. Those are policy choices shaped by strategic calculations that people can reasonably support or oppose.
It is hard to understand why he chose this clearly uneven fight, one he cannot win, and in the process managed only to anger millions of people worldwide, including many Americans and many of his own voters.
American society and its political system have been deeply divided for years, something reflected in the outcome of every presidential and congressional election.
There are two Americas, and Trump has little interest in the other half, which he sees as politically lost and not worth pursuing. He focuses instead on his own base, where several of his decisions in recent months, including the war with Iran, have begun to generate growing unease.
Whether someone supports or opposes Trump is beside the point. An objective reading of his decision to attack the Pope and present himself as Jesus is that it was a serious misstep, one that could prove to be a political turning point. The damage it has caused, especially among his core supporters, will not be easy to repair.
