Trending Now - Rubio's Rome Visit Complicated by Trump’s Iran Dispute

WHO:

ABC News - Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Trump, Pope Leo XIV, Premier Giorgia Meloni, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

ABC News - Giampiero Gramaglia, Rev. Antonio Spadaro, journalist Massimo Franco, Farian Sabahi.

WHAT:

ABC News - Rubio is heading to the Vatican and Italy for a fence-mending visit.

ABC News - Rubio will have an audience with Pope Leo on Thursday.

ABC News - Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, which has alienated allies.

ABC News - Trump lashed out at Leo on social media, calling him soft on crime and terrorism.

ABC News - Trump posted a social media image likening himself to Jesus Christ, which was deleted after backlash.

ABC News - Rubio stated that the visit had been in the works for a while but was complicated by recent events.

ABC News - Rubio mentioned that Trump’s criticisms of Leo were due to concerns over Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon.

ABC News - Rubio said, “I cannot understand why anyone would think that it’s a good idea for Iran to ever have a nuclear weapon.”

ABC News - Leo stated that the Catholic Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons.

ABC News - Rubio's visit includes discussions on topics other than the Iran war, including Cuba.

WHERE:

ABC News - Vatican City, Italy.

ABC News - Meetings with Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Italy.

WHEN:

ABC News - Rubio will meet with Pope Leo on Thursday.

WHY:

ABC News - The visit aims to mend relations strained by Trump’s comments and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.

ABC News - Leo has pushed back against Trump’s misrepresentations, emphasizing a message of peace.

HOW:

ABC News - Rubio is conducting a high-level diplomatic visit to address tensions created by Trump’s remarks.

(UPDATED May 7, 2026 09:50 UTC)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to the Vatican and Italy for a diplomatic visit aimed at mending relations strained by President Trump's recent comments and the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. During this trip, Rubio will meet with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, where discussions will also touch on other important topics, including Cuba. Trump has criticized the Pope on social media, calling him soft on crime and terrorism, which has raised concerns among allies and prompted Rubio to emphasize the need for a united stance against Iran potentially obtaining nuclear weapons.