Trump To Attend Pope Francis’ Funeral In Rome Despite Legendary Feud: 'Look Forward To Being There!'

Donald Trump has announced that he and former first lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, even though the history between the two leaders was anything but smooth sailing. Trump made the announcement Monday, following news of the Pope’s passing, stating, "We look forward to being there!" Well, if there's ever a moment for dramatic entrances, this is it.

The Vatican is expected to hold the funeral before the month’s end, as papal funerals usually occur within a week of the Pope's death. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed that the exact date will be set during the General Congregation of Cardinals on Tuesday morning.

In addition to heading to Rome, Trump ordered all American flags on government properties, including military bases and embassies worldwide, to be flown at half-staff until sunset Monday, recognizing the pontiff’s global impact.

The relationship between Trump and Pope Francis was famously rocky. Back in 2016, Pope Francis openly criticized Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the southern border, suggesting that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian." Not one to let that slide, Trump fired back, calling it "disgraceful" for any religious leader to question another person's faith. He even warned that if the Vatican ever faced an ISIS attack, the Pope would have wished Trump was president—because, apparently, Trump versus ISIS would be the ultimate pay-per-view.

Francis didn’t shy away from critiquing Trump’s "America First" rhetoric, either, nor did he hold back on issues like nationalism and climate change. Trump, meanwhile, pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accords in both his terms, putting him and the Pope at opposite ends of the global warming debate.

Though Trump identifies as Christian, he isn’t Catholic and only met Pope Francis once while in office. In contrast, President Joe Biden—a practicing Catholic—met with Francis several times during his presidency. Trump’s Vice President, J.D. Vance, a Catholic himself, was one of the last visitors to see Francis, meeting him on Easter Sunday—just a day before the Pope’s passing.

The White House hasn’t commented yet on the upcoming funeral or Trump’s attendance. But if history is any indication, there’s never a dull moment when Trump steps onto the world stage—even for a papal farewell.