When and where did Pope Leo make public comments about Donald Trump?

1. Where the pope spoke: Castel Gandolfo and press settings

Pope Leo’s November remarks were delivered to reporters at Castel Gandolfo, the papal retreat, when he answered questions about migrants and U.S. policy — a setting Reuters identifies as the place where he called for “deep reflection” on the treatment of migrants under President Trump ^[1]. Other outlets report the comments arose in press interviews or answers to journalists during public appearances, reflecting the pope’s willingness to use on-the-record exchanges with the press rather than long formal encyclicals to address policy questions ^{[2] [3]}.

2. When he spoke: a pattern across autumn 2025

Reporting shows a pattern of critiques across September through November 2025. Reuters and other outlets note that in September Pope Leo had described U.S. treatment of migrants as “inhuman,” and that the November 4, 2025 statement at Castel Gandolfo represented a continuation and intensification of those criticisms ^{[2] [1]}. Multiple news services document the November 4 comments as the most prominent recent intervention ^{[1] [2]}.

3. What he said: “deep reflection,” “inhuman,” and pastoral concerns

The substance of the pope’s remarks focused on urging moral and pastoral reflection: he called for “deep reflection” about how migrants are treated in the U.S., emphasized that the spiritual needs of people in detention must be respected, and had earlier used the word “inhuman” to describe parts of the deportation policy ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Those phrases are consistently quoted across Reuters, BBC and other reporting as his principal public formulations on the subject ^{[2] [3] [1]}.

4. Why this matters: the pope’s voice in domestic U.S. debates

Commentators and bishops interpreted the pope’s interventions as emboldening U.S. Catholic leaders to speak up on immigration and to consider statements at national meetings; Reuters reports U.S. bishops and individual prelates saying Leo’s comments reinforced their commitment to assist migrants and pressured them to respond ^[2]. Analysts and opinion writers also framed the pope’s interventions as significant because he is the first U.S.-born pope and because his moral framing can influence Catholic voters and institutional responses ^{[4] [5]}.

5. Reactions and pushback: conservative Catholics and the Trump administration

The reporting documents pushback: some conservative Catholics and commentators criticized Leo’s comments as inappropriate or confusing, and the Trump administration publicly rejected characterizations of migrant treatment as “inhumane” after earlier remarks ^{[6] [7]}. Reuters specifically notes that prominent conservative Catholics reacted angrily and that the White House pushed back after September comments ^{[6] [7]}.

6. Differences in framing across outlets and potential agendas

Coverage varies by outlet: Reuters and BBC present Leo’s words as journalistic reporting of a pope making pastoral and ethical commentaries ^{[1] [3]}, The Atlantic and opinion pieces situate those comments in broader political context and suggest strategic implications for U.S. politics ^{[4] [5]}, while partisan or advocacy sites frame the remarks as either evidence of a moral stand or as political overreach ^{[8] [9]}. Readers should note those different editorial lines and potential agendas when weighing the significance of the pope’s statements ^{[4] [8] [9]}.

7. What the available sources do not say

Available sources do not mention any private meeting between Pope Leo and President Trump, nor do they report a formal papal document (encyclical or apostolic exhortation) directly targeting U.S. policy; the citations focus on interview answers and public comments to reporters at Castel Gandolfo and similar venues ^{[1] [2]}. If you are looking for verbatim transcripts beyond quoted phrases (“deep reflection,” “inhuman”) or a comprehensive chronology of every public remark, current reporting provides selective excerpts rather than full verbatim transcripts ^{[2] [1]}.

Bottom line: multiple international outlets report that Pope Leo publicly criticized elements of the Trump administration’s immigration policies in September–November 2025, most visibly telling reporters at Castel Gandolfo on Nov. 4, 2025 to seek “deep reflection” about how migrants are treated and earlier describing the deportation approach as “inhuman” ^{[1] [2] [3]}.