Donald Trump has stirred controversy with his remarks regarding his attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral.
The funeral service for Pope Francis was held today (April 26) in Vatican City. It drew political leaders and mourners from around the world to St. Peter’s Square to commemorate the pontiff.
During a conversation aboard Air Force One en route to the Vatican, the US President was questioned by Fox News about the significance of his attendance at the funeral.
Trump’s reply has been described as ‘disrespectful’ and typical of a ‘quintessential narcissist’ on Twitter, where the interview clip has gained traction.
“I just thought it was out of respect, you know,” Trump explained, highlighting how he ‘won the Catholic vote’ during the previous election.
“I won the Catholic vote. And I think it’s the first time that ever happened, where a Republican won the vote,” he stated, further adding: “And I won it by a lot.”
“You know, I have great relationships to the Catholics, very simple,” he said.
Trump expressed his intention to attend as a mark of respect for his Catholic supporters who backed him in the last presidential election.
“I won the Catholic vote, we got 56 percent of the vote, I don’t know why we didn’t get more, actually,” he claimed.
“I don’t know how they [the Democrats] got any, but we did well with the Catholic vote.
“My relationship is very good, so therefore, you know, I think it’s appropriate.”
Trump’s comments received varied reactions, with many on social media criticizing him for seemingly making the Pope’s funeral ‘about him’.
“It’s always about him. So if he didn’t win the Catholic vote he wouldn’t go? Lol,” one individual remarked.
“Unbelievable yet believable because it’s always him first,” another comment read.
“I hope the Pope comes back to life for one second and says f**k off… this is MY funeral you narcissist!” a third user reacted.
“Figures he makes it about himself. It isn’t about him at all. It is about Pope Francis and his legacy,” someone else commented.
“He’s our representative. If a multitude of Catholics voted for him it means he has a responsibility to adhere to their requests and wishes. He is our employee after all,” a fifth commentator suggested.
According to VoteCast via AP News, Trump indeed secured the majority of the Catholic vote, garnering 54 percent (not 56 as mentioned in the interview) of Catholic voter support.
VoteCast also highlighted a racial divide, with 6 out of 10 white Catholic voters preferring Trump over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, whereas 6 out of 10 Latino Catholics opted for Harris.
Criticism was also directed at Trump’s behavior during the funeral, particularly his decision to wear a blue suit instead of the traditional black attire.
The funeral proceedings for the Pope commenced today, with Trump accompanied by his wife Melania Trump and various foreign dignitaries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away at the age of 88 on April 21, as confirmed by the Vatican through a statement from Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell.