The White House had three specific goals when it flew the president and first lady to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral.
The first – strong arm Ukraine, again – was largely successful, as pictures of Presidents Trump and Zelensky huddled at the Vatican can attest. Sources close to the meeting say that Trump succeeded in his efforts to get the Ukraine president to wear a suit in the near future, while Zelensky elicited promises from Trump that the United States will hold off on plans to begin shipping arms to Russia.
The second – keep the US president from doing stupid shit while there – was considered less successful. From being the only blue suit in a sea of black to using a cell phone and falling asleep during the service (once, notably, at the same time), President Trump did not exactly make any new world leader friends during his overseas trip.
The third – get the Vatican to agree to bury Pope Francis at Trump’s Bedminster golf course next to his ex-wife, Ivanka – can best be considered a work in progress. While Vatican officials have been resolute that a New Jersey pope burial was not in the cards, the Trump administration remains confident that if they can just bump up the merch 5-10 percentage points, that Rome will cave and be forced to take the deal.
How confident? A White House spokesperson on Sunday announced that the Trump Media & Technology Group has secured the rights to the website name FrancisJustOffTheFairway.com for use with a future project that “will be announced, soon.”
Stay tuned…
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