Asked who he would like to succeed Francis, Trump said: “I’d like to be Pope, that would be my number one choice.”
Trump went on to say he did not have a preference but there was a cardinal in New York who was “very good.”
He appeared to be referring to the archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, a theological conservative and fiercely opposed to abortion.
Trump attended the funeral service of Francis last week, his first foreign trip since returning to power.
About 20% of Americans declare themselves Catholic, and exit polls indicated in November that they voted about 60% in favour of Trump.
Francis had arguably been one of the most powerful moral voices on the world stage critical of Trump.
When Trump first ran for President in 2016, Francis was unsparing on his signature promise to build a border wall to seal off Mexico.
Francis told reporters, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”
Cardinals will gather on May 7 in a conclave in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope.
- Agence France-Presse
