Secretary of State Marco Rubio was hit with a serious fact check on Tuesday after denying that President Donald Trump had previously said that Pope Leo was "endangering" Catholics with his comments against the Iran war.
Rubio was filling in during a press conference for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt who was on maternity leave when he was asked to clarify Trump's comments.
"I don't think that's an accurate description of what he said," Rubio said, denying the president's remarks.
Christopher Hale, a political operative and Letters from Leo publisher, pushed back on Rubio's response.
"That’s 100% what President Trump said. Here’s the proof," Hale wrote in a post on X, sharing the recent Salem News Channel interview with Trump where he did indeed say that Pope Leo was "endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people."
"I guess if it's up to the pope, he thinks it's just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said in the interview.
That’s 100% what President Trump said.
Here’s the proof. https://t.co/8vX3hUYd6Xpic.twitter.com/iPGkFaQMOL
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) May 5, 2026