Currently, Trump and Pope Leo are considered the most influential Americans globally. They hold leadership positions in distinct capacities and spheres.

One new American leader said, "Fight!" The other new leader, who became pope, first said the word "Peace" to the world.

President Trump and Pope Leo XIV are very different. They have different ideas and different jobs.

Last week, Leo became the first pope from the U.S. He will lead 1.4 billion Catholics. Now, the two most powerful people in the world are American. This makes people think about how much power the U.S. has. This is because President Trump's trade problems and strong words have changed things around the world and made countries that are friends with the U.S. trust it less.

Many people thought the Catholic Church would not choose an American as Pope. They thought this because America is a very strong country. This was true for almost 250 years. But last week, Cardinal Robert F. Prevost from Chicago was chosen. He is now Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Pope.

David Gibson said it is interesting because many people in other countries will see Leo's election as a good sign. They will think he will speak for them, not work against them.

Pope Leo is an American leader who is different from others in the world.

People were surprised and happy when the cardinal was chosen because he wasn't famous. Then, they talked a lot about how two Americans could be in charge of the world.

People say Trump does not like to share attention. His idea of "America first" shows this. American Catholics voted for Trump instead of Kamala Harris.

Trump put a picture online that a computer made. The picture showed him dressed as a pope. He did this when people were sad because Pope Francis died. Some Catholics and Italians did not like this. Trump said he did not put the picture online himself. He also said people who were upset could not understand a joke. He said the Catholics really liked it.

But Trump said he hoped Leo would do well and that it was a big honor because the new pope was from America.

People say that Pope Leo is also a bit like a politician. He is calm and speaks to the other cardinals in small groups before the meeting. He was born in Chicago, but Leo lived for 20 years in Peru helping people. Then, in 2023, Pope Francis chose him to be in charge of an important office in the Vatican that checks bishops all over the world.

He is not the first pope to talk about world politics. For example, many people think Pope John Paul II helped stop communism. But Leo has already spoken against Vice President JD Vance, who is a famous Catholic in American politics. Leo has different ideas from the government about important things like immigration and the environment.

Like Trump, Leo is now focusing on the media. On Monday in Vatican City, he asked for journalists in prison to be set free. He also said it is important for everyone to protect free speech and a free press. But Trump has often argued with journalists, from the White House to the courts.

Trump and Pope Leo are very different leaders.

In early February, Leo, who was still called Prevost, shared an article from a Catholic magazine. The article was titled: "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to love some people more than others."

This happened a few days after Vance, who is now Catholic, talked about people coming to the country on TV. He used a Christian idea: first you love your family, then your neighbor, then your community, then your country, and after that, other people in the world.

Speaking Italian to many people in St. Peter’s Square, Leo said the Church and people should be like this: "The Church should work together to connect people and be open to everyone, like this square, which welcomes people."

Vance said the Church is more important than politics and social media. He said it is hard to fit a very old Church into today's American politics. He also said it is better for everyone if the Church helps people find faith.

Steven Millies said that when Trump and Leo became popular at the same time, it showed that religion and culture were coming together. He also said that religion and politics don't work well together because they want different things.

Millies wrote in an email that Francis and Cardinal Prevost were acting like bishops. They taught about the Gospel and said it always helps poor, sad, and suffering people. He said this is not what Trump does as a president, a TV star, or a businessman.

How American are Pope Leo's ideas about the world?

Experts say that because Leo lived in Peru for many years, he understands people, power, religion, and politics better.

Pope Leo will probably use his power in a different way than Trump. He will help the poorest people first. Trump stopped giving help from America. In his first speech, Leo did not talk about being American or speak English. Some people who watch the Vatican think this shows he cares about the whole world.

Raul Zegarra said that Leo is the first pope born in the U.S., but it's better to think of him as the second pope from the Americas, after Pope Francis.

He said the Pope leads by talking to people, not by being alone. The Pope believes being strong means helping others, not controlling them. He said this is very different from the leaders in the U.S. now.

Some American cardinals say Leo is not very American. They say his American past didn't help him become pope. But Trump was important during the meeting.

Six American cardinals who were at the meeting went to a press conference with loud music. One by one, they said Leo was not very American. One cardinal said people were calling Leo 'the least American of the American' cardinals. Some said they thought Leo would help connect with the Trump government, because the word 'pontiff' means a bridge-builder.

When people asked if the cardinals chose Leo because of Trump, some said no.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan from New York said, "I don't think the other cardinals thought he was against anyone else."

Of course, the cardinals knew about things that happened in the United States, like what people said and what politicians did. But he said the meeting's goal was to choose someone who could make the faith stronger.

Millies said: "People should not be afraid of a pope from the U.S. It's the opposite. He is 'the least American of the Americans'. This means he is not affected by our recent politics. He might seem safer, but he is still an American who knows the good parts of this country very well."

Darlene Superville, a writer for the Associated Press in Washington, contributed to this report.