{"id":26306,"date":"2025-04-30T18:08:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=26306"},"modified":"2025-04-30T18:08:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:08:40","slug":"donald-trump-responds-with-answer-everyone-would-expect-when-asked-who-should-be-next-pope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=26306","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump responds with answer everyone would expect when asked \u2018who should be next pope\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If the Cardinals of the Catholic Church need some help shortlisting people to become the next Pope, Donald Trump has got some ideas.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0US<\/a>\u00a0President, 78, has revealed who his ‘number one choice’ to replace the late\u00a0Pope Francis<\/a>\u00a0is – and you probably won’t be that surprised by his answer.<\/p>\n

He reckons he knows the perfect candidate to step into the huge shoes that the 88-year-old pontiff has left to fill following\u00a0his death on Easter Monday<\/a>\u00a0(21 April).<\/p>\n

Pope Francis, whose real name was Jorge Mario Bergolio, sadly passed away after suffering a\u00a0cerebral stroke<\/a>\u00a0that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.<\/p>\n

He was hailed as the ‘People’s Pope’ by Catholics around the\u00a0world<\/a>, while\u00a0Sir Keir Starmer<\/a>\u00a0described him as a pontiff for ‘the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten’ in wake of his passing.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, Bergolio’s successor has a challenging legacy to live up to.<\/p>\n

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Donald Trump, pictured with Pope Francis in 2017, reckons he knows the ideal candidate to lead the Catholic Church (ALESSANDRA TARANTINO\/POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Over a hundred cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel on 7 May to kickstart the secretive election process to\u00a0choose the next leader of the Catholic Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But not just anyone can become the new Pope; there are\u00a0a string of strict requirements<\/a>\u00a0that candidates must meet before they can be considered.<\/p>\n

Formal conditions include being baptised by the\u00a0Catholic Church<\/a>, being\u00a0unmarried<\/a>, and being male, which is down to the fact that only men can be ordained as priests and bishops.<\/p>\n

You also must be at least 35 years old and have studied the Bible, theology, or canon law.<\/p>\n

However, despite identifying as a non-denominational Christian (a form of Protestantism),\u00a0Trump<\/a>\u00a0reckons he’d be the perfect man for the job.<\/p>\n

Yep, you read that right.<\/p>\n

When a reporter asked who he would like to take Pope Francis’ place, the President recommended himself.<\/p>\n

“I’d like to be Pope,” the commander-in-chief said. “That’d be my number one choice.”<\/p>\n

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The President and Melania seen attending the pontiff’s funeral last weekend (Marco Ravagli\/Future Publishing via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Now, we all know that Trump holds himself in high esteem, but putting himself on the same pedestal as His Holiness is seriously taking the biscuit.<\/p>\n

Also, and perhaps quite importantly, Trump isn’t even Catholic. Would probably be better if the new head of the Catholic Church was actually Catholic, but hey, what do I know?<\/p>\n

He went on to say that he didn’t have a specific preference over who is chosen, but he did suggest a US pope wouldn’t be a bad idea.<\/p>\n

“I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called\u00a0New York<\/a>\u00a0who\u2019s very good, so we\u2019ll see what happens,” Trump added.<\/p>\n

South Carolina senator and prominent Republican Lindsey Graham seemed all for the idea of Trump heading up the Catholic Church, saying in a\u00a0social media<\/a>\u00a0post that he would be a ‘dark horse candidate’.<\/p>\n

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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!<\/p>\n

The first Pope-U.S. President combination has\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/MM9vE5Uvzb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n