Trump’s remarks come when cardinals are set to begin on May 7 the process to choose a successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21.
When asked who he believed should replace Francis, Trump replied, “I have no preference,” but added, “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.”
The reference was believed to be to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, though Politico noted that he is not considered among the frontrunners for the papacy. Notably, no pope in history has ever hailed from the United States.
Politico said the cardinal of New York, Timothy Dolan, “is not believed to be among the frontrunners to succeed Francis.”
There has never been a pope from the US.
Politico quoted Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who appeared to throw his weight behind Trump’s long-shot bid for the papacy.
Graham said on social media he was “excited to hear” about it.
The video showing Trump wanting to be pope soon went viral on multiple social media platforms evoking mixed reactions. Many of Trump supporters lauded the idea, while social media users had a field day with memes, including those showing Trump in pope’s formal regalia.
