President Trump defended his criticism of Pope Leo on Monday, telling CBS News that the pontiff is "wrong on the issues" following a social media post that drew international condemnation.

Trump's comments to CBS senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell came after he posted criticism of Pope Leo XIV on his Truth Social platform Sunday evening. The post appeared to be in response to a "60 Minutes" report, though the specific content of Trump's original message was not detailed in the reports.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, issued a statement Monday calling Trump's remarks "unacceptable." Meloni said she found "President Trump's words toward the Holy Father unacceptable," emphasizing that "the Pope is the head of the Catholic Church."

The diplomatic tension marks an unusual public dispute between a former U.S. president and the Vatican leadership. Trump has not indicated he plans to retract his statements, instead doubling down on his position during the CBS News interview.

The controversy stems from what Trump characterized as disagreements on unspecified policy issues with the Pope. Neither the Vatican nor papal representatives have issued a public response to Trump's criticisms as of Monday evening.