President Donald Trump has announced his intention to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, marking what would be his first foreign trip during his second administration.
“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there!” Trump shared on Truth Social on Monday afternoon, in reference to First Lady Melania Trump.
Contentious Relationship
The Vatican has not yet set a date for the funeral. Prior to the official announcement of his passing on Monday, Francis had a brief meeting on Sunday morning with Vice President JD Vance, a recent Catholic convert.
Trump and the pontiff had a strained relationship over the past decade. During the 2016 election, Francis criticized Trump’s proposal to construct a wall along the southern U.S. border. In response, Trump stated, “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.”
Positive Meeting
In 2017, the two leaders met during a visit to the Vatican. Reflecting on the encounter, Trump remarked, “He is something. We had a fantastic meeting.”
On Monday, Trump issued an order via Truth Social to fly U.S. flags at half-staff “as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis.”
Initially, Trump’s first foreign trip was projected to be a visit to Saudi Arabia in May.
