Then-U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta in the Pentagon Briefing Room on February 13, 2013. (U.S. Defense Department Photo By Glenn Fawcett/Flickr)
U.S. President Donald Trump is having a major feud with Robert Francis Prevost, AKA Pope Leo XIV, over the war in Iran — which the Pope opposes. Trump has been hurling insults at Leo, and Elbridge Colby (a Defense Department official in the Trump Administration) reportedly threatened Leo's ally, Cardinal Christophe Pierre — saying, "America has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side."
During a Tuesday afternoon, April 14 appearance on MS NOW, Leon Panetta — former defense secretary and ex-CIA director — argued that Trump's attacks on the Pope are not only offensive, but also call into question his ability to lead the United States during wartime.
Panetta, now 87, told MS NOW host Chris Jansing, "In 50 years — over 50 years of public life — I've never seen anything like this. This is strange beyond belief to have a president of the United States criticizing the Pope and then doing the kind of paintings he did, portraying himself as Christ-like. This is unheard of. And you know, I'm a Catholic. I'm very offended that the president would openly criticize the Pope."
The former CIA director/ex-defense secretary continued, "But more importantly, I think people of faith believe that religion is deeply private and deeply personal and should not be political — and should not be used as an excuse for war. And behavior that way, I believe, sends a message to the world that the United states — in particular, the president — are really not very credible. And if you lose credibility as a president, you've lost the ability to lead this country."