Pope Leo XIV arrives to lead a holy Mass for peace and justice at Bamenda airport in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Washington Week with The Atlantic airs April 17, 2026 at 8PM on PBS (check local listings)
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The President’s Crusade Against the Pope
President Trump is leading a new crusade this week, engaging in a war of words with an unlikely opponent: Pope Leo XIV. Through social media posts, comments to the press, and in public speeches, two of the world’s most famous Americans are at odds over the Iran war, and neither appears to be backing down.
Joining editor in chief of The Atlantic and moderator, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss the political fallout from the growing feud:
- Leigh Ann Caldwell, Chief Washington Correspondent, Puck
- Stephen Hayes, Editor, The Dispatch
- Jonathan Lemire, Staff Writer, The Atlantic and Co-Host of “Morning Joe”, MS Now
- Michael Scherer, Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Major funding for Washington Week with The Atlantic is provided by Consumer Cellular, the Yuen Foundation, Sandra and Carl DeLay-Magnuson, Rose Hirschel and Andy Shreeves, Leonard and Norma Klorfine, Robert and Susan Rosenbaum, and PBS.
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