Trump Lands in Rome to Pay His Respects at Pope Francis’ Funeral

ROME, Italy — President Donald Trump attended Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, joining over 50 dignitaries and heads of state to honor the late pontiff, who passed away earlier this week at 88 after suffering a stroke.

Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the president expressed his intention to attend “out of respect” for Francis, despite their public disagreements on immigration, climate change, and other crucial issues.

In previous exchanges, Francis criticized Trump’s hardline stance on immigration. Notably, in 2016, he described those who build walls to restrict migrants as “not Christian,” which Trump found “disgraceful.” Following the pope’s death, Trump commended him as a “good man” who “worked hard” and “loved the world,” directing U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff in his memory.

Prior to leaving Washington, Trump mentioned potential meetings with other leaders at the funeral but later clarified that doing so might be “disrespectful.” Regardless, he mentioned seeing several important figures during his visit.

Among the expected attendees were leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary, and Argentina. Trump, however, indicated he wasn’t anticipating an interaction with former President Joe Biden, who is also attending. When asked about the chance of meeting his Democratic predecessor, Trump said it “was not high on my list.”

Notably absent from the funeral were former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, while the status of Bill Clinton’s attendance remained unclear.

Despite the funeral setting, Trump mentioned the possibility of holding meetings at the U.S. ambassador’s residence, Villa Taverna, where he stayed during the visit. He acknowledged his tight schedule, planning to return to the U.S. immediately after the service.

Amid the solemn event, Trump reiterated his commitment to diplomatic efforts, specifically mentioning high-level talks aimed at ending the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also confirmed to attend the funeral alongside his wife, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was not present.