Days after Pope Francis’ funeral, President Donald Trump joked he would like to be considered as the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Videos by Suggest
According to Fox News Digital, the world leader made the comment while departing for Michigan on Tuesday. “I’d like to be pope,” he joked to a group of reporters. “That’d be my number one choice.”
When asked who he would like to see become Pope Francis’ successor, President Trump referenced Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.
“No, I don’t know,” the president, who is not Catholic, said. “I don’t have a preference. I might say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who is very good. So we’ll see what happens.”
Dolan is considered one of the 10 US cardinals who will vote on Pope Francis’ successor. He is not likely to become the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. The Vatican is set to hold a papal conclave next month. During this event, the Catholic Church’s cardinals will gather to elect the next pope. Those who are eligible to be the pope are any baptized Catholic male.
However, the Catholic Church has elected the next pope from the College of Cardinals for centuries.
President Trump previously ordered the American flags to be flown half-staffed as the Catholic world mourns the death of Pope Francis.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham Supports President Trump Becoming the Next Pope
Shortly after hearing that President Trump was interested in becoming the next pope, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham shared his thoughts about the remark publicly.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Graham praised Trump for wanting to be the next leader of the Catholic Church.
“I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,” Graham wrote. “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!”
He then stated, “The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!”
Although some X users agreed with the senator’s remark, others did not.
“This can’t be f—ing real, right??” one X user wrote.
Another declared, “What — and I mean this genuinely — is wrong with you?”
Graham hasn’t clarified if he was joking or not.