(LifeSiteNews) — During an exclusive video interview with Politico, President Donald Trump indicated that despite mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration policies by Pope Leo, he would gladly meet with the first American pontiff.   

Trump, in fact, denied being aware of the pope’s increasingly harsh condemnation of the deportation of illegal aliens, going so far as to deem the ongoing actions as “inhuman” and not “pro-life”

“I haven’t heard any statements from the pope,” said Trump. 

“I’m sure he’s a lovely man. His brother’s a lovely man,” noted the president, speaking of the pope’s older sibling, an ardent Trump/MAGA supporter. 

Trump recounted how Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, similarly condemned the building of the southern border wall, which, the president stated, turned out to be a very good move for the United States.

“You know, they didn’t like the wall,” he said, but “the wall turned out to be great … It stopped people from flooding in.”

“Under Biden, this country was out of control,” recounted Trump. “Millions of people pouring through totally unchecked, totally unvetted.” 

“Now we have nobody coming in. We have them coming in only legally,” he explained. “They have to go through a legal process. Nobody ever talks about that anymore. They should talk about that.” 

Later, when asked point blank if he would meet with the pope, Trump answered, “Sure, I will. Why not?”

Trump’s sentiments are in keeping with statements made in July. He said that while he had no plans to meet Pope Leo XIV, he “has a lot of respect” for the pontiff and “really likes” his brother.

In a Zenit News video, Trump was questioned whether a meeting with the new leader of the Catholic Church was on his calendar.

“Not a plan,” said the president. “I would do it. I have a lot of respect (for Pope Leo). I really like his brother.”

“His brother is a major, serious ‘Trumper,’” Trump continued. “He is ‘MAGA’ all the way. I like the pope’s brother and I think I’d like the pope.”

Trump met with Pope Leo’s older brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House in May. The president was ecstatic about the meeting, hearing that Louis “had Trump signs all over his house.”