Donald Trump recently left many people puzzled after implying he had some influence over the election of Pope Leo as the new leader of the Catholic Church, following Pope Francis’ passing last month.
Reacting to the announcement that Pope Leo is the first American to hold the position, Trump said: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on being appointed Pope. It’s a tremendous honor to see an American become Pope for the first time. Such excitement and a great moment for our country.”
He continued, “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. That will be a very special occasion!”
In a Truth Social post shared on May 12, Trump went further, suggesting that his popularity among Catholic American voters may have contributed to Pope Leo’s rise.
Mocking journalist Martha Raddatz (though he misspelled her name), he wrote: “It was hilarious to watch Martha on ABC Fake News this morning, insisting that Pope Leo’s appointment had nothing to do with Donald Trump. It came out of nowhere—clearly, I’m still living rent-free in her mind. Don’t forget, I WON the Catholic vote, by a lot!”
He ended the post with criticism of Disney CEO Bob Iger and called for changes to the network, finishing with his usual “MAGA!!!”
In a separate incident the same day, Trump made another eyebrow-raising claim—this time, saying he invented the word “equalize.” While announcing a new order to reduce drug prices, he told reporters at the White House:
“The rest of the world will pay more, and America will pay much less. So essentially, what we’re doing is equalizing. It’s a new word I came up with—I think it’s the perfect term. We’re going to equalize everything.”
However, dictionaries indicate that “equalize” has been in use since at least the year 1599.
His remark drew online confusion and ridicule. One person noted: “There was literally a show in the ‘80s called The Equalizer. Did he come up with the word back then?”
Another user joked: “If he invented it, how does everyone already know what it means?”
A third added sarcastically: “Horses**t—a word I just made up, no one has ever said it before!”