Last Tuesday, days after the passing of Pope Francis and less than a week before the start of the Conclave, Donald Trump jokingly told reporters that "He would be my first choice." The publication of an image on Truth Social, the former U.S. president's social network, where he appeared dressed in papal attire, caused a stir as it spread through accounts related to the White House.
While the Vatican prepares for the Conclave with the chimney ready to announce the new pontiff with white smoke, Trump continues to capture media attention even in a context unrelated to U.S. politics. During his last visit to the Vatican, at Pope Francis's funeral, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss bilateral agreements.
Trump mentioned New York Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan as a possible candidate for the papacy, although he himself considered himself as the first choice. A few days before the start of the Conclave, controversy arises over these statements from the magnate and his interest in holding the position, despite Dolan not being among the main papal candidates such as Pietro Parolin, Luis Antonio Tagle, and Matteo Zuppi.
The AI-generated image of the former U.S. president dressed as the Pope went viral after being posted on Truth Social. Regarding this image, Trump stated: "I would love to be Pope."
