President Trump and first lady Melania Trump paid their respects to Pope Francis ahead of the pontiff’s funeral on Saturday morning.
The Trumps had a front-row seat to the services despite prior speculation that Vatican protocol would have them behind powerful archbishops, bishops, cardinals and reigning monarchs.
Trump, donning a navy suit and tie, and Melania, wearing a black lace ensemble, were flanked by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Estonian President Alar Karis.
The Trumps arrived in Italy on Friday for the first international trip of his second term, and just in time for Melania’s 55th birthday, which also fell on Saturday.
“She’s got a working birthday,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday.
“I’ll take her for dinner on the Boeing,” Trump joked when asked how they would be celebrating. “I’ll take her for dinner on Air Force One.”
Before heading to Rome, Trump praised the late pontiff as a “good man” who “loved the world.”
“I thought he was a fantastic kind of guy,” Trump said.
Trump and Francis had previously sparred on immigration. In 2016, Pope Francis called plans for mass deportations a “disgrace.” Trump called the comment “disgusting.”
Read more on Pope Francis’ death
The president and first lady, along with the US delegation, were also seated nearby Ethiopia and Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, due to Vatican protocol that organizes world leaders in alphabetical order according to the name of their country in French.
The delegation included Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.).
Former President Joe Biden attended the funeral alongside his wife Jill Biden.
A number of other world leaders gathered at the funeral including United Kingdom Prime Minister Kier Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In total, foreign delegations from 164 countries attended the funeral.
Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Read the full article here