U.S. President Donald Trump joked on Tuesday that he would like to succeed Pope Francis, who passed away last week at the age of 88.

When asked by reporters who he would like to see as the next pontiff, Trump replied: “I’d like to be the Pope. That would be my first choice.”

I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. 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!

The first Pope-U.S. President combination has… pic.twitter.com/MM9vE5Uvzb

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 29, 2025

Trump added that, in reality, he doesn’t have any particular preference. “I have to say, there’s a cardinal, who happens to be from a place called New York, who is very good. So, we’ll see what happens,” he commented.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, is not among the leading contenders for the papacy. However, another American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark in New Jersey, is included on the shortlist.

Trump and his wife Melania traveled to Rome last weekend to attend the funeral of the first Latin American pope.

The two men had exchanged criticisms over the past decade, largely centered on the Pope’s repeated calls for compassion toward migrants—appeals that clashed with Trump’s efforts to enforce deportations.

Soon, 133 Catholic cardinals in the conclave will be tasked with electing the next pope, though no clear favorite has yet emerged.