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Pope Leo says he’s unafraid of the Trump admin after president calls him ‘terrible’ on foreign policy
Pope Leo XIV fired back after President Donald Trump attacked him on social media, saying his calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and should not be treated as a political argument with the White House.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration,” the pope told reporters aboard the papal plane Monday en route to Algeria.
“The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he added.
Trump had criticized the pope’s positions on Sunday in a scathing rebuke on Truth Social.
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“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump began in a lengthy post.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” he concluded.
The pope responded Monday, taking a shot at Trump’s Truth Social – “it’s ironic, the name of the site itself; say no more” – despite claiming “I will not enter into debate.”
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“The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,” he also said, speaking in English, adding, “I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”
“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” Leo added. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
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The pope’s stance against Trump’s peace efforts in the Middle East came after the president’s Sunday night Air Force One tarmac comments.
“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters, echoing remarks from the Truth Social post. “We don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it.”
“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump added. “He’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.”
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Leo claimed he was speaking for the church and not himself or Iran.
“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”
Trump claimed Leo has him to thank for being elevated to pope, the first American pope.
“I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t.”
“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.
Katy Perry is under investigation by Australian police following Ruby Rose’s explosive sexual assault claims against the singer.
“Melbourne Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) detectives are investigating a historical sexual assault that occurred in Melbourne in 2010,” a representative for the Victorian Police told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Police have been told the incident occurred at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s CBD. As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
A representative for Perry did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
KATY PERRY FIGHTS BACK AGAINST RUBY ROSE’S ‘CATEGORICALLY FALSE’ SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
Over the weekend, the “Orange Is the New Black” alum, 40, alleged on social media that Perry sexually assaulted her at a Melbourne nightclub 20 years ago.
A representative for Perry immediately shut down the “categorically false” claims.
“The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous, reckless lies,” a representative for Perry told Fox News Digital in a statement at the time. “Ms. Rose has a well-documented history of making serious public allegations on social media against various individuals, claims that have repeatedly been denied by those named.”
After a Threads user asked her to expand on her original claim, Rose wrote, “After it I threw up on her. I told the story publicly but changed it to be a ‘funny little drunk story’ because I didn’t know how else to handle it. Later she agreed to help me get my US visa. So I kept it a secret. But I DID tell yall she wasn’t a good person. Instead I got attacked by… everyone.”
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In another post, Rose said it had taken her almost 20 years to come forward with the claims.
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“I was only in my early 20s. I’m now 40. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly,” she wrote. “Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. Thank you for seeing me.”
On Tuesday, Rose confirmed to the Herald Sun that she had filed official reports to local law enforcement.
“As of this afternoon, I have finalized all my reports. This means I am no longer able to comment, repost, or talk publicly about any of those cases, or the individuals involved,” she wrote on Threads.
“It’s going to look like I am ignoring everything from supportive messages, to other people’s experiences, but I’m not,” she continued. “This is a standard request from the police and in many ways, quite the relief. I can start the healing process now. And temporary move forward. I love you all so much.”
The “Wide Awake” singer appeared to send a message Tuesday on Instagram stories, and shared a clip of her song, “By the Grace of God,” with the message, “I love you.”
Lyrics to the hit from her 2013 “Prism” album include, “It was not about me / Now I have to rise above / Let the universe call the bluff / Yeah the truth will set you free.”
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Bahamian authorities plan to suspend search for missing American woman amid US Coast Guard criminal probe
GREAT ABACO ISLAND, Bahamas — Bahamian authorities intend to wrap up their search for missing American woman Lynette Hooker in the near future, while the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that its criminal investigation into her disappearance continues.
The island nation’s military says the search could be suspended as early as Thursday, according to an NBC report. After analyzing “tide, drift and wind,” authorities say they are running out of locations to search, the report said.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to Fox News Digital on Wednesday that its criminal investigation into Lynette Hooker’s husband, Brian Hooker, remains ongoing.
Meanwhile, Hooker’s attorney, Terrel Butler, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday morning that Brian is waiting for Bahamian police to return the keys to his boat before he resumes his own search for Lynette.
LYNETTE HOOKER MISSING IN BAHAMAS: TIMELINE OF MICHIGAN WOMAN’S DISAPPEARANCE, HUSBAND’S ARREST
A local boat captain told Fox News Digital during a recreation of Brian and Lynette Hooker’s doomed dinghy ride that he was shocked Lynette’s body hadn’t been found.
Mo Monestime has spent 15 years chartering boats in the Great Abaco Island area.
“Not being found, that’s the mystery,” he said.
“It is very hard to disappear, because, again, we’re so close to land,” Monestime continued. “So if you do fall overboard [and] drown, somebody will see you the next day. Again, we can see bottom, you know? I’ll be driving the boat, I will see stingrays, I will see turtles, so I would see a human body. Somebody would see something. Somebody would say something, like, ‘Hey, we just saw something strange in the water.'”
Monestime said drownings happen occasionally near Elbow Cay, but then reiterated that victims are recovered quickly.
“Again, you could see land all the way, the whole time,” he said. “Even if you fall overboard in pitch dark, you still could see the lights from the shore.”
Brian Hooker, 58, was arrested and jailed last Wednesday as police investigated his wife’s disappearance. The pair left the Abaco Inn in their dinghy at around 7:30 p.m. on April 4 during rough weather. Choppy seas and high winds caused Lynette to fall overboard with the initiation key in her pocket, disabling the boat, Brian said.
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He was released from custody Monday night after five days, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Brian said that in the ensuing panic after Lynette fell off the dinghy, he tossed a flotation device to her. He said he thought she was attempting to swim to their anchored yacht, and called out to her for about an hour. He paddled and drifted for about eight hours before washing ashore at Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco Island, where local security guards at a marina assisted him.
The couple from Michigan was pursuing their retirement dream of living on their yacht and sailing around the world.
Brian said in a Facebook post that he was “heartbroken” by Lynette’s disappearance.
“I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas,” he wrote. “Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”
Hooker said Tuesday upon his release that he intends to continue to search for Lynette.
President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama were publicly at odds again this week following elections in Hungary, where the administration-backed candidate, former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, was defeated by opposition candidate Péter Magyar.
Ahead of the vote, the Trump administration sent Vice President JD Vance to Hungary in a last-minute effort to bolster support, but the move appeared to have little impact, as Magyar secured a decisive victory.
Following the outcome, Obama reacted on X, writing:
“The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world. Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law.”
Orbán had governed Hungary for 16 years, winning each of his elections through the democratic process.
The political tension between Obama and Trump has extended beyond Hungary. Obama has recently supported redistricting efforts in states such as Virginia and California, while opposing similar moves in Texas, Missouri, and other Republican-led states.
He also drew criticism for remarks made following the death of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, where he used the moment to criticize the Trump administration and Republicans more broadly. His comments reportedly drew a rebuke from Jesse Jackson Jr..
Earlier this month, Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized Obama over past financial dealings with Iran, arguing that funds transferred during the nuclear agreement enabled Tehran to expand its military capabilities, including missile and drone programs used against U.S. and allied targets.
The criticism comes as the United States and Israel continue Operation Epic Fury, a military campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s military infrastructure amid claims that Tehran is rebuilding its nuclear weapons program.
Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit, Trump sharply criticized Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran, which he withdrew from during his first term.
“That Barack Hussein Obama, did you ever hear of him? Barack Hussein Obama, he had the Iran nuclear deal. He went to Iran, he paid them,” Trump said. “Remember, he sent two Boeing 757 jetliners. They took the seats out and they piled it with cash, like 1.7 billion of cash.”
“That’s when I realized the president is very powerful. The presidency is a very powerful thing when you can do that. I haven’t done that yet. I haven’t found a reason to do that yet, but that’s big,” he added.
At the time, Obama defended the $1.7 billion payment, stating that the funds were part of a legal settlement tied to a failed arms deal dating back to 1979, following the Iranian Revolution that led to the overthrow of the Shah and the hostage crisis involving American citizens.
“You know, there wasn’t a bank in DC, Virginia, or Maryland that had any money after that disaster,” Trump said.
“But they sent the cash to Iran, but more importantly, they signed an agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, which, if I didn’t terminate it in my first term, I terminated it almost immediately. If I didn’t terminate it, they would have had a nuclear weapon long ago, and they would have used it on the Middle East, Israel,” the commander-in-chief further stated.
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