PoliticsDonald Trump Sparks Fresh Backlash as He Unleashes Rapid-Fire Posting Spree Criticizing the Pope and Iran
Donald Trump went on a late-night posting spree that dominated headlines.
April 17 2026, Published 5:31 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump turned a quiet overnight stretch into a headline-making spectacle, unleashing a rapid-fire series of Truth Social posts that touched on everything from religion to global alliances, while further blurring the line between politics and performance.
Midnight Messages Target the Pope
He targeted Pope Leo XIV in a post criticizing Iran.
The posting spree began just before midnight Tuesday, with Trump taking direct aim at Pope Leo XIV, who has called for peace amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote, before adding, “AMERICA IS BACK!!!”
The post continued a dayslong feud between the president and the Chicago-born pontiff, whom Trump has repeatedly criticized as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
NATO, Allies, and More Targets
The president also criticized NATO and U.S. allies in his posts.
Just minutes later, Trump pivoted to another familiar target: NATO.
“NATO wasn’t there for us, and they won’t be there for us in the future!” he posted, echoing earlier frustrations with allies who have not backed his approach to the Iran conflict.
The president has recently escalated rhetoric toward European leaders, even threatening to cut off trade with Spain after its prime minister declined to support U.S. efforts tied to the war.
A Stream of Links and Grievances
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Donald Trump called ActBlue 'The most corrupt group in Government.'
Trump followed up with multiple posts linking to articles about his 2019 impeachment, the Iran war, and Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, which he labeled “The most corrupt group in Government!”
After a brief pause to promote an upcoming Fox Business interview, the president resumed posting, this time amplifying supportive social media content.
Meme Wars and Social 'Dominance'
Viral memes and reposts fueled engagement and controversies.
These bursts go viral because they combine urgency, conflict, and unpredictability that surely drives attention. Supporters engage to defend, critics engage to respond, and neutral audiences engage out of curiosity,” says Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.
Among the shared posts were defenses of Trump’s recent controversies, including backlash over an AI-generated image that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ. The reposts extended the life of multiple controversies at once, turning the feed into a running commentary on his critics, allies, and perceived double standards.
“From a communications standpoint, it reflects a shift away from traditional message discipline toward dominance of the news cycle. It’s less about controlling the message and more about controlling the momentum,” Philip explains. “The risk, however, is that while it can win short-term attention, it can also create long-term volatility in credibility and consistency.”
A Pattern of After-Hours ‘Agenda-Setting’
Trump’s late-night activity is hardly new. The president is known for keeping unconventional hours, often posting or making calls well into the night.
“Late-night ‘rage-posting’ cycles are rarely accidental; they’re a form of agenda-setting,” Philip notes.
“When a high-profile political figure posts rapidly and emotionally, it creates a surge of real-time engagement that algorithms immediately amplify,” she adds. “By morning, the content has already shaped the narrative, forcing media outlets to react to the posts rather than lead with their own framing.”
