It was just four months ago that President Donald J. Trump said the quiet part out loud, declaring that his power could be restrained only by his “own morality, his own mind.” When Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV on social media Sunday night and posted a picture of himself as a Christlike figure, it wasn’t just Catholics who were disgusted. Sadly, this tracks with a man who sells Trump steaks, Trump coins, Trump Bibles and fraudulent Trump degrees. He worships at the altar of Donald J. Trump.

Standing in the breach, Leo and other prominent Catholic leaders have spoken out about Trump’s immoral war, his immigration enforcement overreach and his cuts to health care. They are not responding in political terms but moral ones. If the president’s reaction is any guide, they have struck a nerve.

I am not one to give advice — political or moral — to Trump, especially as he is on the ropes in a midterm election year. As he and Vice President JD Vance belabor a war of words with the pope, anyone would ask why any officeholder, much less the president, would double down on images and statements that alienate voters of faith and other segments of the electorate whose turnout is critical to winning in November. But there are issues to understand that are much larger than politics. 

Read Mitch Landrieu’s analysis here.

According to the Pew Research Center, Trump won 55% of Catholic voters in the 2024 election. Now he’s facing criticism from conservative Catholic leaders over his feud with Leo.

Here are some more highlights of the president’s actions over the past seven days:

When tax filing season officially kicked off earlier this year, the White House website proudly announced, “President Trump Delivers Largest Tax Refund Season in U.S. History.” Thanks to Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill, the administration said average refunds would rise by $1,000 or more. As of this month, the average refund amount is up $346 compared to last year, which is enough to cover about half of the extra $776 families could spend on higher gas prices this year as a result of Trump’s war with Iran. Or taxpayers could use the refund to pay for the estimated extra $600 they’ll spend in 2026 on Trump’s latest tariffs. The president giveth, it seems, and the president taketh away.