Pope Leo XIV used his inaugural American television interview to extol the United States as a haven for immigrants across generations, setting up a stark ideological divide with the Trump White House and its restrictionist border policies. The 70-year-old pontiff, who became the first pope from the United States, spoke to NBC anchor Tom Llamas in the Borgo Laudato Si’ papal gardens outside Rome for the conversation that aired on Wednesday.
When Llamas asked what the pontiff loves about his home country, Leo’s response emphasized one particular American tradition above all others: “having invited for generations people from around the world to be part of America.” The answer carried unmistakable weight given ongoing friction between the Vatican and an administration that has centered its agenda on curtailing immigration.
Running Feud With the White House
Relations between Rome and Washington have grown increasingly tense. President Donald Trump has publicly labeled Leo as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult, has openly questioned whether the pope properly understands church teaching. Meanwhile, Leo has described the administration’s immigration policies as “inhuman.”
The Chicago native has shown no willingness to moderate his stance. He stated that he harbors no fear of the administration and plans to continue delivering the gospel message, which he identified as the church’s core obligation. The White House did not respond immediately with a statement about the interview.
Family Roots Reflect America’s Complex Past
Leo tied his stance to his own ancestry, referencing a genealogical study completed last year. “I come from a family that — my grandparents were immigrants. On my mother’s side, we have people who were both slaves and slave owners,” he said. The pontiff characterized this heritage as helping him appreciate what he views as one of the nation’s greatest strengths, pledging to uphold the principles that have historically defined American identity.
Leo also praised the nation’s principles, freedom and opportunity during the exchange. While NBC’s Lester Holt had previously encountered Leo during a press conference for international journalists the previous year, this week’s interview represented the religious leader’s first American television appearance since his election.
Lampedusa Instead of Washington
The clash between the Vatican and the administration has extended beyond rhetoric. Trump’s harsh language notwithstanding, the White House invited Leo to participate in the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Washington. Instead, the Vatican revealed that the pope would journey to Lampedusa, Italy, the nation’s southernmost point and landing site for migrants who make it across the Mediterranean Sea.
On July 4, 2026, Leo joined a procession and offered Mass on the island, a move Vatican officials characterized as intentional. Father Antonio Spadaro, the undersecretary at the Vatican’s office overseeing culture and education, explained the decision as an American pope choosing to spend the U.S. national holiday not honoring a nation’s borders but standing on what he called the wounded threshold of the Mediterranean. The gesture itself, Spadaro explained, constituted an unofficial declaration.
Spadaro characterized the visit as offering an alternative vision rather than launching a frontal attack, noting that it occurred during a period when the United States had elevated closing its borders to migrants as a defining principle — a reality an American pope grasped with particular clarity. Leo avoids accusatory rhetoric, Spadaro explained, instead emphasizing that the dignity God grants each person transcends any national boundary.
Before the anniversary, Leo addressed the matter in a letter to the United States, contending in explicitly Catholic language that safeguarding human life demands that nations provide refuge, housing and assistance to those who cross borders in search of safety. He maintained that treating migrants with compassion and welcome demonstrates the fundamental value that every person holds.
The interview, the written correspondence and the Lampedusa pilgrimage collectively outline a coherent position from the Vatican — one that responds to the administration’s crackdown not through open confrontation but with unwavering emphasis on the moral obligations owed to migrants. For a pope who was born in the same country as the president, the disagreement over what makes America great has emerged as one of the most prominent areas of tension between Rome and Washington.