Fact Check: Did Donald Trump say he 'should be the pope' after Pope Francis' death?

WASHINGTON, DC: Pope Francis died of a stroke and heart failure on Monday, April 21, at 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican announced.

The pope’s death was announced "with deep sorrow" by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo.

Following his death, a rumor circulated on social media claiming that President Donald Trump said that he "should be the pope". But is there any truth to this? Let's find out below.

Claim: Donald Trump said he 'should be the pope'

A meme went viral on social media featuring a picture of Trump and a quote that read, "Frankly, I should be the Pope, and in a lot of ways, maybe I already am." 

The claim first appeared on Facebook, but also went viral across Instagram and the meme website Imgur.

The post shared by Instagram user @timheidecker has so far crossed more than 10,000 likes.

False: No proper evidence to back the claim

The claims made in the online posts are false, as there was no evidence to prove that Donald Trump made any such statement, according to Snopes. 

Moreover, the White House also denied that Trump had said these words. No reputable news outlets reported on the statement, and if it was true, it would have become headline newsworthy. 

Furthermore, a search of Trump's official X and Truth Social accounts for the alleged quote showed no results.

Donald Trump posts words of condolence for Pope Francis on social media

Despite Donald Trump and Pope Francis being publicly at odds throughout the POTUS' time in political office, the president posted words of condolence on social media.

He wrote on Truth Social, "Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!"

Trump confirmed he and first lady Melania Trump would be attending his funeral.

Moreover, Trump's social media post ordered American flags on public buildings to be flown at half-staff as "a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis."

Moreover, in the opening speech at the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll on April 21, Trump said about Francis, "He was a good man, worked hard, he loved the world."

Donald Trump and Pope Francis had different views and disagreements

Both President Donald Trump and Pope Francis had fairly different views and sharp disagreements, as they had very little in common.

Even days before Pope Francis' death, they had varied thoughts over immigration, which both saw as crucial to their mission and legacy, according to the New York Times.

Pope Francis believed that Christian love required compassionate care for migrants, and Trump’s agenda of mass deportation violated the "dignity of many men and women, and of entire families," per the outlet.

Back in 2016, during the election, the Pope criticized Trump’s pledge to build a wall on the United States' border with Mexico, and stated that it suggested that the Republican candidate was "not Christian".

Pope Francis said back then, "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."

Trump responded by calling the Pope’s comments "disgraceful". He said through a campaign statement that if the Vatican were ever "attacked by ISIS", the Pope "would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president."