Trump Heads to Pope Francis’ Funeral in First Trip of New Term

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican City on April 26, 2025, marking his first foreign trip since his second inauguration on January 20, per Reuters. 

The pontiff, who died at 88 on April 21 from a stroke, was mourned globally, with Trump among leaders at St. Peter’s Basilica, per AP News. Accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Trump’s visit followed his “Vladimir, STOP!” plea to Russia’s Putin after a Kyiv strike, signaling active U.S. diplomacy, per The New York Times. The Vatican, hosting 19,430 pilgrims in 8.5 hours of viewing, per BBC, welcomed Trump to honor Francis’ legacy of compassion.

Trump, who clashed with Francis over immigration in 2016, called him a “great man” whose outreach to the poor inspired millions, per Reuters. The trip, amid U.S. sanctions on Russia costing $200 billion, per the IMF, highlighted Trump’s pivot to global engagement, with Vance holding Vatican talks on Ukraine peace, per Vatican News.

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