Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) joked Tuesday that President Donald Trump should be the next Pope as the Vatican looks to select a new leader after Pope Francis’s death.
Graham’s remarks came in response to Trump saying that he’d “like to be Pope.”
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“I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,” he said in a post on X. “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!”
Any baptized Catholic male is eligible to be Pope, though Trump would likely be distracted by his presidential duties in the very unlikely event that the conclave of cardinals elects him. Graham added to watch for the white smoke, indicative that a new Pope has been elected, as opposed to black smoke, which means they are still deliberating.
“The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides,” he added. “Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!”
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!
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 29, 2025
The first Pope-U.S. President combination has… pic.twitter.com/MM9vE5Uvzb
When asked who he wanted as the next Pope, Trump joked, “I’d like to be Pope. That’d be my No. 1 choice.”
He then said, “No, I don’t know, I have no preference.” He suggested the Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, who hosted Trump at the Al Smith Dinner before the election.
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“I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Trump is not running to be Pope, but Dolan is a much more likely choice. He still faces a host of competitors, but would be the first-ever American Pope.