I think the pope should've stayed out of the picture. I'm not Catholic either, but it would've been better if he didn't get involved. The pope shouldn't be political, but he is.

The Pope's office is leader of Catholics worldwide. Regardless which side he leans into he's practically obliged to comment on large scale life and death events in some way. I'm not Catholic, could care less, but the church *expects* his comments.

Do a critical thinking check: is a POPE going to publicly approve of ANY war?

He is weak on foreign relations.

Non sequitor. How in the fuck is the Pope supposed to have expertise in foreign relations? He's not a congressman or colonel.

He has plenty of criticism of Trump but none for Iran's leaders that have killed thousands of innocent citizens of their country for protesting. Pope Leo has TDS.

He's a dipshit from Chicago, so sure, I can see that. First thing you've written that I agree with.

Catholics still support what Trump is doing regardless of what Pope Leo thinks.

How do you know that in particular? Is there a poll? You assume a lot.

Edit: Oh, wait, there IS a poll...

https://x.com/KevinRobertsTX/status/2044781870072627226

Oops.

There is no hill to die on here for Trump.

It is irrelevant to the US what the pope says so Trump's words were unnecessary.

The war in Iran will be over soon

So you see the future, I see. That is a lapse of critical thinking to assume ANY particular outcome. Yeah, I see reporting like that. From fart sniffing Fox News. Other sources say different.

and the world will be rid of the nuclear bully of the Middle East.

Iran has bleated death to the US since 1979. I was there, I sat in the odd/even rationed gas lines that summer....

Trump doesn't have cognitive decline at all.

Even friendly right leaning commentators and quite a few physicians disagree. You give a big fat pass to his unhingement in the last couple of months.

He just has a big mouth without a filter. He's a counter-puncher. You hit him and he'll hit you back 10 times harder. Some of his statements are cringeworthy, but what would you be saying if you were constantly attacked from all sides for 10 years now? The gloves are off.

Even if Trump is playing with a full deck, which I am uncertain about, Trump cries wolf so often that what comes out of his mouth now is just static. And he is far more unhinged than he ever was. I know, you just don't see it, I see it clearly that he's much worse than ever.

Trump had the courage to take care of the Iran problem

It doesn't require personal courage for a lame duck president to deploy an unnecessary unpopular war. It just takes ignoring his base and every campaign promise he made. As well as the half of the room that aren't neocons.

and he's winning.

Just he says so. ALL the time. Even while negotiating. If we're winning why are we negotiating? If the US is winning WHY DOES THE ADMINISTRATION SAY CONSTANTLY WE'RE WINNING?

The strategy he employed in the Strait of Hormuz is working.

That's what I meant about the news cycle. I have no idea who is blockading what. It's easy to find contradictions to what you're saying.

Iran is the only country blocked from using it now and they're feeling real economic pain.

I agree they have to feel economic pain but because the news coverage is so muddled I have no idea what their leverage is, if any.

He will get what he wants in the end, which is for Iran to give the US its existing nuclear material and for them to give up their future nuclear weapon ambitions.

You say, again. You fall into this partisan trap of labeling anything Iran does like it's a unique pathology. Iran is a sovereign nation. North Korea has a nuke and we aren't starting a war there. Neither Saddam nor Qadaffi had nukes, Iraq and Libya both fell, and both leaders are deposed and dead. If Iran is smart they will keep their nuclear weapon program active. Yes, I said it.

Yes, ideally Iran would voluntarily shut down uranium enrichment and would hand over its stockpiles. In reality it actually makes no sense for them to do so.

Maybe Trump doesn't communicate well at times, but in the end this will be a great thing for the world.

As far as a great thing for the world - yes, now the US has set the precedent that a stronger nation can invade a weaker nation for the correct reasons. Good signal to China too.

I don't see one commentator outside Fox NOT saying that this war is destabilizing.

Let's see what we're all paying for basic goods and services over this summer to see if you're right. Also let's see what happens in Asia and the Pacific region economically and also with respect to agriculture vs. famine. Right now your crystal ball seems like cope.