Baptist pastor and Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress argued President Donald Trump has a “better understanding” of the bible than Pope Leo XIV — at least when it comes to waging war against Iran.

Jeffress shared his take on Fox News Live on Saturday, two days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the American-born pope in Europe. The pastor said Leo is a “good man,” but his criticism of Trump’s leadership during the war — and his threats against Iran — have been out of line.

“He’s sincere if his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran,” Jeffress said. “The pope ought to know — and I think he does know — God created both the church and government for two distinct or purposes. The role of a church is to point people in in Jesus Christ to, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evil doers according to Romans 13.”

He continued, saying Trump “had no choice” but to attack Iran because it posed a major threat.

“I thanked him then for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation,” Jeffress said about a meeting with Trump, a few days after the war started. “And you know, the great irony is it looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has. And I’m glad the president hasn’t backed down at all.”

His comments come about a month after the Trump-Leo feud turned into a full-fledged saga, with Trump branding Leo “WEAK” on both crime and the issue of a nuclear Iran in a searing late-night social media rant.

“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History,” Trump wrote on April 12. “Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.”

Trump’s tirade followed the pope criticizing the Iran war, as well as ripping the Trump administration’s “extremely disrespectful” treatment of illegal immigrants last year.

The president and Leo continued trading words in the press after that, but things have cooled down over the last few weeks.

Watch above via Fox News.

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