Rep. Johnathan Jackson is firmly in Pope Leo's corner amid a recent beef with President Trump ... and he's reminding POTUS he's not God.
A photog got the Congressman from Illinois arriving in Washington D.C. Monday after Congress' two-week paid vacation and asked him about Trump's attacks on the Pope.
Jackson, the son of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, says Pope Leo is not to be messed with, and Trump needs to be reigned in.
Trump vs. the Pope -- it's all the buzz in D.C., but asking a Republican Senator whose side he or she is on is a Sophie's Choice no one wants to make.
In response to a personal attack by President Donald Trump the night before, Pope Leo told journalists on the papal plane to Algeria:
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what… pic.twitter.com/zV6FuacGSM@catholicourtney
Enter Senator Ted Cruz. Charlie wanted to know who he rides with, but Cruz wouldn't weigh in, no matter how many different ways he was asked.
He was way more receptive to the scandal of now-former Congressman Eric Swalwell. The word in D.C. is that the allegations were an open secret in the House for a long time ... but no one uttered a public peep until the media broke the story.
President Donald Trump got some heat for posting -- and ultimately deleting -- an A.I.-generated pic of himself as Jesus ... but he says that wasn't his intention.
In a news conference Monday, Donald said ... "I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor." Trump claims he thought the image was of him as a Red Cross doc because there "was a Red Cross worker" in the photo.
While it's true there is a doctor in the pic ... the A.I. rendering of Trump shows himself wearing a white tunic and a red shawl -- which is what Jesus is commonly depicted wearing.
Pope Leo XIV is not taking any crap from President Donald Trump ... firing back at DJT's nasty Truth Social post that slammed the Pontiff for his perceived liberal-leaning views on crime and foreign policy.
Leo was speaking with journalists aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria Monday when he was asked about Trump's verbal attacks on what the Commander-in-Chief sees as the Pope's "Radical Left" beliefs.
In response to a personal attack by President Donald Trump the night before, Pope Leo told journalists on the papal plane to Algeria:
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what… pic.twitter.com/zV6FuacGSM@catholicourtney
Check out video of Leo's response ... he calmly tells reporters he has "no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do."
Leo added he and his Catholic church cronies are not politicians and "don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective" as Trump. He went on to say he believes "in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”
As you know, Trump went scorched earth on Leo Sunday night, writing on Truth Social that the Pope is "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," citing his liberal views. And that was only the beginning of his tirade ... Trump's message got a lot uglier from that point on.
Not even Pope Leo can escape the wrath of President Trump, who excoriated the Holy Father for his views on crime and foreign policy — and a bunch of other stuff, too!
Trump posted a long-winded message on Truth Social Sunday night, kicking things off by slamming Leo for being "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."
Trump is also pissed at The Pontiff for criticizing him over bombing the hell out of Iran and sparking a war between the 2 countries with the help of Israel. Over the weekend, Leo implied that a "delusion of omnipotence" is behind the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
Pope Leo XIV remembers the good old days of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on his hometown Chicago Bulls ... and, he's clearly got some skills with the rock ... or at least some great teachers.
The head of the Catholic Church welcomed the Harlem Globetrotters to St. Peters' Square Wednesday ... and they showed him how to spin a basketball on his finger.
Check it out -- one of the athletes starts spinning the ball while he gets the pope's finger into position ... then passes it off to him ... sorta.
Dan Bilzerian's standing by his very public assertion his opponent for a seat in Congress is a "fat Jew" ... and, yet, he's simultaneously insisting he's not antisemitic. Yeah, buckle up for this!
The former "King of Instagram" is running for U.S. Congress against Rep. Randy Fine in Florida's 6th Congressional District, and hurled the derogatory phrase on social media ... after Rep. Fine blasted a dude for putting up "missing" posters of Adolf Hitler.
We gave him the chance to explain himself Wednesday on "TMZ Live" ... and, while at first Bilzerian talked about his opposition to the nation of Israel, Harvey and Charles asked him specifically about the post on X.
Taylor Frankie Paul says she's no longer a part of the Mormon church, claiming she's on a quest to learn more about life, amid the criminal investigation against her.
The controversial 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star wrote a message on Instagram Sunday, saying she's "detaching" from the church even though she was born and raised a Mormon. For anyone who doesn't know, Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), who believe in a Restorationist Christian faith founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.
In her IG post, Paul said she still strongly believes in "Christ, God, the bible, the divine," pointing out that everyone is loved whether they pray in a church or on a bathroom floor at home. Paul goes on to talk about people who aren't sure about their faith, but she insists her decision to cut ties with the church lies in the fact that "there is more out there to learn."
As you know, Paul has been put through the wringer ever since TMZ published a 2023 video showing her getting into a violent altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in front of her then 5-year-old daughter, who suffered a head injury, according to a police report.
Savannah Guthrie is enduring her first Easter since her mom Nancy's disappearance ... and just like in her Christian tradition, the day comes with a bittersweet message.
In a video recorded for the Good Shepherd New York church's digital Easter gathering, Savannah admits that sometimes "life itself seems far harder than death" and that she experienced "deep disappointment with God" after her mom was kidnapped February 1.
According to Savannah, not knowing her mom's whereabouts or what exactly happened to her is particularly challenging.
But Savannah's faith also brought her comfort during her darkest days. Savannah believes Jesus had similar feelings of uncertainty that she has endured.
After Pope Leo XIV hosted an exorcist summit at the Vatican this month, we held our own conference with renowned exorcist Father Dan Reehil ... and he tells us the Devil is real -- and definitely busy!
Reehil stopped by "TMZ Live," telling us there was a big spike in demonic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant concern about the global rise in Satanism.
He said, "During COVID, the cases tripled, and I think that was primarily because the churches were shut down, people were locked up at home with idle time on their hands to do nothing but get into mischief and the cases skyrocketed."
Kathie Lee Gifford is asking the LGBTQ community to simmer down when it comes to the letters in its title ... but she doesn't want you to think she's being judgmental!
In an interview with Tomi Lahren, Gifford weighed in on the community's identifying letters, saying, "I don't even know how many letters there are now. They've really got to stop with that. We know what you mean, you know?"
She continued ... "I'm not telling anybody how to live their life. I never have. I just know what Jesus said -- 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' Love God first."
The woman accused of shooting at Rihanna's home on Sunday seems to have shared multiple videos making incoherent accusations concerning the singer ... even what will happen when Rihanna dies.
Watch the clip ... in a YouTube video posted January 4, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, clutches a 'Praying Woman's Journal' and appears to accuse Rihanna of trying to kill her. Even more disturbing ... Ortiz appears to say that when Rihanna dies, God will take Ortiz to her "future."
In another video, uploaded to YouTube on January 21, Ortiz seems to give a similar rant while holding the same book. In the second clip, Ortiz appears to liken Rihanna's face to the devil before delving into a tirade about homework.
Dressed in all black, Ivanka made her first public appearance in months ... joining her family for a synagogue service in Miami, Florida.
In the pics, you can see Ivanka leading her 2 sons, who follow behind on scooters. She keeps a low profile in black shades and a large sunhat with a matching black ribbon around it.
A woman who claims to have been attending service during the Minnesota church protest covered by Don Lemon last month is now suing Lemon and other protesters, saying she suffered severe emotional distress as a result of the incident.
In court documents, obtained by TMZ, Ann Doucette claims she was attending a worship service at The Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18 ... when she alleges Don and others "unlawfully interfered" with her ability to "freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship."
Remember ... the demonstration was held in the wake of Renee Good's death and was meant to confront the Cities Church pastor David Easterwood, who is a Minneapolis ICE official.
Doucette is suing for an unspecified amount, claiming she suffered "severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma" as a result of the protesters' conduct.
Mel Gibson and a controversial archbishop chopped it up during a visit to the set of "The Resurrection of the Christ" ... but there's no consulting going on, TMZ has learned.
Here's the deal ... a Friday report stated excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is a consultant on Mel's follow-up to his blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ." It was a shocking development to some, given that Viganò was booted by the Vatican in 2024 for refusing to recognize Pope Francis’ authority.
A source close to 'Resurrection' production tells TMZ … Viganò is NOT a consultant on the film. Viganò visited the set, and the two conversed … but that’s the extent of their relationship. Viganò posted some snaps of his set visit, which likely kicked the rumors into high gear.
Savannah Guthrie and her family are clinging to faith amid their nightmare ... and a message of hope is coming straight from her mother Nancy’s pastor, who is vouching for the power of prayer when tragedy threatens to take over.
Michael Rudzena, the pastor at Good Shepherd New York in Manhattan -- who Savannah introduced to her mother a decade ago -- sat down with Hoda Kotb on Tuesday ... explaining how prayer fights against a sense of fatality and despair that clouds hearts when bad things happen.
Rudzena described 84-year-old Nancy as strong and fiercely loving ... saying over the years he came to understand her faith deeply when she streamed his church services from Arizona and attended in person when she was in NYC.
