DONALD TRUMP HAS criticised Pope Francis ahead of a planned visit to Mexico.
The Republican US presidential hopeful said the pontiff is “very political” and ”doesn’t understand the problems [America] has”.
Trump told Fox Business’ Varney & Company: “I don’t think he understands the danger of the open border that we have with Mexico. Mexico got him to do it because Mexico wants to keep the border just the way it is because they’re making a fortune and we’re losing.”
Pope Francis is due to start his Mexican visit today.
Trump has proposed building a wall at the US-Mexican border. When announcing his presidential campaign last summer he caused controversy by saying:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
In a previous interview with CNN, Trump said he has “great respect” for the Pope, but
“He’s becoming very political, there’s no question about it, but I like him. He seems like a pretty good guy.”
Ahead of his visit, BBC News reports that Pope Francis has condemned ongoing violence in the country.
“The Mexico of violence, the Mexico of corruption, the Mexico of drug trafficking, the Mexico of cartels, is not the Mexico our mother wants.”
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