Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 on the Monday after Easter. On Tuesday, United States President Donald Trump joked that he would like to be the next Pope. The President made the joke while departing for Michigan, where he will have a rally to celebrate his 100 days back in office. The sequence occurred in the White House while Trump spoke with reporters outdoors.
Donald Trump Jokes About Being The Next Pope
Trump joked to reporters, “I’d like to be pope” when asked who he would like to be the lead of the Catholic Church after Pope Francis’ death. Continuing the joke, the President said, “That’d be my number one choice.” Francis died on April 21, the Monday after Easter, at age 88. He had been battling ongoing health issues before his death, such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, along with bronchiectasis, which is a chronic lung condition.
After Pope Francis passed away, Trump and First Lady Melania attended the funeral Mass on Saturday at the Vatican. In addition, the President held a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Referring to the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Trump said, “No, I don’t know. I don’t have a preference. I might say we have a cardinal who happens to be out of a place called New York and is very good. So we’ll see what happens.”
Trump also teased running for a third term, although the 22nd Amendment says he can’t do that. In May, the Vatican will have a Papal Conclave to gather the Catholic Church’s cardinals to elect the next Pope. Trump has concluded each of his three presidential campaigns with rallies in Michigan. During the Easter holiday, the President made some remarks that generated a lot of backlash. He succeeded in his 2024 Grand Rapids, Michigan campaign in the last election.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asked the conclave jokingly to “keep an open mind” about making Donald Trump the next Pope. Graham said Tuesday on X, “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke. Trump MMXXVIII!”
Final Thoughts From Donald Trump’s Remarks
Donald Trump has quite a reputation for making some attention-grabbing remarks. The President is not even a Catholic; he grew up Presbyterian, but he later identified as Non-Denominational in 2020. Trump and other world leaders went to Rome to pay their respects at the funeral. Francis was critical of the Trump administration’s policies, especially immigration. Only cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote, and it’s unclear how many cardinal electors will participate.
