Longtime President Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon is no fan of the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV — and has an ominous message for him.
According to Newsweek, Bannon said of the new pope, "It is shocking to me that a guy could be selected to be the pope that had had the Twitter feed and the statements he's had against American senior politicians," and that there will "definitely be friction" between the two of them.
Bannon referenced Trump's rocky relationship with Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, who was widely regarded as one of the most progressive modern popes and was frequently critical of anti-immigrant movements. Indeed, Bannon himself sought to undermine Francis' influence in America by elevating an ultra-right-wing cardinal, Raymond Burke. Burke himself clashed with Francis on many issues, including the extent of LGBTQ acceptance within the church, and was demoted and stripped of various church benefits under Francis' leadership.
Leo, born Robert Prevost, is the first American pope in history. While his political beliefs and plan for governing the church remain somewhat unclear, he was a close ally of Francis and frequently criticized Trump's attitudes toward immigrants on social media. Already a handful of pro-Trump activists have begun to attack him in anticipation of a continuation of Francis' policies and an adversarial relationship with the president.
"Remember, President Trump was not shy about taking a shot at Pope Francis," said Bannon. "So if this Pope — which he will do — tries to come between President Trump and his implementation of the mass deportation program, I would stand by."
The word choice could be a callback to Trump's infamous instruction during the 2020 election to far-right paramilitary groups like the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by," issued just months before such groups participated in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol to disrupt the certification of former President Joe Biden's victory.
Thus far, Trump has kept quiet about any political tension that might exist between himself and the new pope, posting last week, "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country."
