(The Hill) – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) jokingly asked the conclave to “keep an open mind” about making President Trump the next pope.
“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!” Graham said Tuesday in a post on X.
“The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides,” he added. “Watching for white smoke…”
Graham concluded his post with “Trump MMXXVIII!” the Roman numeral for 2028.
Graham’s lighthearted post drew a response from Meghan McCain, who told the senator to “get a grip.”
The post comes just after Trump spoke with reporters outside the White House and jokingly said he’d like to be the next leader of the Catholic Church.
“I’d like to be pope,” he said. “That would be my number one choice.”
Trump, more seriously, later said he has “no preference” for who the Church ultimately chooses but that the cardinal out of New York is “very good.”
There has yet to be a pope from the United States, and Timothy Dolan, the cardinal from New York that Trump was referencing, is not expected to be a finalist in the decision.
The remarks come as the Catholic Church is set to decide who its next leader will be.
Pope Francis died last week at the age of 88. He died of a stroke, which was a complication of lung disease that had kept the pope ill for weeks.
Trump and other world leaders traveled to Rome over the weekend to pay their respects at the funeral.
Pope Francis was critical of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly on immigration.
On Monday, Catholic cardinals set May 7 as the start date for the conclave to elect a new pope. They set the date after the first day of informal meetings, delaying the secret vote so they are able to better get to know one another and reach a consensus on a candidate before they are sequestered.
Only cardinals under 80 are eligible to vote and it’s not clear how many of the 135 cardinal electors will participate.
