US President Donald Trump arrives in Rome on Friday for Pope Francis’ funeral, where he will hone his shoulders with world leaders on his second term’s unexpected first foreign trip.
Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, had a distant relationship with the late Pope, who sharply criticised him for his signature policy regarding the massive deportation of immigrants. But Trump will be the centre stage for major diplomatic rallies on Saturday with around 50 heads of state, including 10 monarchs in the Vatican.
Trump said he could potentially meet President Voldy Mie Zelensky, the first of his two leaders since the tragic White House meeting on February 28th.
President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have ungratefully called him Zelensky for billions of dollars of US military aid since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Trump recently blamed Zelensky on war and ongoing bloodshed while calling on Russia to stop air attacks on Ukraine.
Zelensky said he may miss the funeral for a military meeting after Russia’s fatal strike against Kiev.
No Trump meetings have been announced in Rome. Trump is only planning to stay for half a day.
Trump told Air Force reporters he would meet “some people,” including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
But he quickly added that any meeting “frankly, it’s a bit rude to hold a meeting when you’re at the Pope’s funeral.”
Trump may also feel uncomfortable with some of the other mourners.
Biden was a devout Catholic and was close to Frances. He will travel independently to Rome, his office said.
Trump mercilessly attacked Biden, demolishing his legacy in nearly 100 days of office.
President George W. Bush took two Air Force 1 members, Bill Clinton and his father, for the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005.
Will the EU speak?
Trump’s trip to Italy has temporarily retreated from at least the most serious measures, but comes after he imposed temporary tariffs and rattled off European allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron is one of the leaders who has been able to build a bond with Trump, and resigning German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz will be at the funeral, as well as top EU officials Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
Meloni had already said he had expanded his invitation to Trump to visit Rome before the Pope’s death, and could provide opportunities for meetings with European leaders.
Also, Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and veteran leftist rival Jea Bolsonaro are soulmates of Trump’s ideology.
Lula was critical of Trump, but has avoided major conflict since the return of the Republican billionaire.
Funerals will also be more ideologically coordinated with Trump, including Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and Argentina’s President Javier Mairi, the home of the late Pope.
Trump also made a brief visit to France after the election before inaugurating Notre Dame for the reopening of the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Macron brought him along with the bystander.
Trump’s first foreign trip should be to the oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, where he wants to see business opportunities and impose them on him to embrace close ties with Israel.
He is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates from May 13th.
But Trump will maintain one important appointment. First Lady Melania Trump and her 55th birthday will also fall on Saturday.
He added to reporters that he had no time to buy presents but “I’m taking her to dinner in Air Force 1.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published by Syndicate Feed.)
