Donald Trump Jokes About Becoming the Next Pope

Just days after claiming he governs not only the U.S. but the entire world, Donald Trump once again made headlines by jokingly expressing his desire to amass even more power—this time as the Pope. This statement comes a week after the passing of Pope Francis. When asked by a journalist who he would prefer to see elected as the next Pope, Trump humorously replied: “I would like to become the Pope. That would be my first choice.” Trump noted that while he doesn’t have a specific preference, he mentioned Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, as a potential candidate, though Dolan is not among the frontrunners. However, another American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, is on the list. Trump’s humor, however unfortunate, drew comparisons to the Brothers Grimm fairy tale ‘The Fisherman and His Wife,’ where the wife’s greed leads her to demand becoming Pope, ultimately losing everything when she asks to become God. It’s worth noting that Trump and his wife Melania traveled to Rome last Sunday to attend the funeral of the first Pope from Latin America. The two men exchanged criticism over the past decade, especially regarding Pope Francis’s call for compassion towards immigrants, which Trump repeatedly opposed. One hundred thirty-three Catholic cardinals will soon gather in the conclave to elect the next Pope, with no clear favorite emerging.