Pope Leo Is Shaping Up To Be Trump's Most Effective Moral Opponent

Is Pope Leo anti-MAGA? No. Is he part of the Resistance? Not really. But will he stand as a moral bulwark against Trump's worst instincts? Absolutely.

This opinion essay originally appeared in Newsweek on June 19, 2025.

On June 14, Donald Trump marked his 79th birthday with a military parade in Washington, D.C. At the same time, in a far more humble setting—center field at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field—Cardinal Blase Cupich gave what he called his “sermon on the mound” during a Mass celebrating Pope …