ROME — President Donald Trump, a man who cares deeply about where he is placed on a seating chart, seemed pleased to score a plum front-row seat at Pope Francis’s funeral in Vatican City Saturday.
But more significant than Trump’s seat for the main event were the two red jacquard chairs that had been pulled off to the side in St. Peter’s Basilica, where Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sat facing each other before the funeral began for their first meeting since their February Oval Office blow-up.
The two leaders, alone against a vast backdrop of ornate marble floors and columns, bent toward each other, their knees less than a foot from touching, appeared deep in conversation, their hands resting in their laps.
This brief moment in the minutes preceding Francis’s funeral likely wasn’t the end to tensions between Trump and Zelensky, and neither Zelensky nor the White House has made clear exactly what was discussed or achieved. But the two presidents’ chat was a fitting tribute to the kind of peacemaking dialogue that Francis espoused during his 12 years as pope.
The funeral of the pope brought hundreds of dignitaries and foreign leaders to Vatican City, along with record crowds estimated at around 250,000 people. Among them were Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who arrived in Rome late Friday night for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visit, Trump’s first international trip of his second term.
Trump’s appearance at the funeral came at a moment of significant tension between the U.S. president and other world leaders. In recent weeks, Trump has slammed many of America’s longtime allies with tariffs, attempted to strong-arm them into accepting controversial deals, and threatened them with the abandonment of long-valued partnerships.
But the tensions created by Trump’s foreign policy were hardly apparent at the funeral, where his meeting with Zelensky, and his warm greetings and hearty embraces with other world leaders, offered the perhaps misleading impression that all is well with the global world order.
Before coming to Rome, Trump had said he intended to have a series of conversations with some of the other leaders at the funeral.
“I have a lot of meetings set up…” Trump said earlier this week, saying that he had so many meetings he wasn’t sure he could fit them all in. “I’ve got every leader in the world — which tells you that we have a good product. It’s called the United States of America, and it’s great.”
Trump’s 14-hour visit to Rome, it turned out, was far too short for any extensive meetings. He landed at Rome’s international airport just after 11 p.m. Friday and proceeded directly to the U.S. ambassador’s residence, where he and first lady Melania Trump stayed for the night before heading straight to the funeral Saturday morning.
The Trumps arrived at St. Peter’s Basilica right on time. She wore a black double-breasted trench dress, black heels, and a black lace mantilla veil covering her hair. Trump, one of the few world leaders not wearing black, wore a dark blue suit with a blue tie.
Upon their arrival, they walked slowly toward the foot of Francis’s sealed casket, then stood solemnly and nodded slightly.
Both Donald and Melania Trump met the pope only once — in May 2017, shortly after the beginning of the Trump presidency.
In the days preceding the funeral, Trump said he admired the pope because Francis “loved the world, actually, and he was just a good man.” He said it was important that he was present at the ceremony. “We did well with the Catholic vote, and our relationship is very good,” Trump said, “so therefore I think it’s appropriate.”
Trump sat down with Zelensky shortly after paying his respects to Francis’s casket. In another photo captured of those pre-funeral moments inside the church, Trump stood in a tight circle with Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Starmer was smiling, and Macron has his hand on Zelensky’s shoulder.
Trump has been pushing for months for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, and he has repeatedly voiced his frustration with Zelensky for refusing to agree to a deal that would offer Russia favorable terms. On Friday night, Trump posted on Truth Social that he was optimistic about a deal between the two countries — but complained that Zelensky “has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States,” referring to a potential agreement to provide the U.S. access to some of Ukraine’s natural resources. “It is at least three weeks late. Hopefully, it will be signed IMMEDIATELY.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung said after Trump and Zelensky met at St. Peter’s that the two leaders “had a very productive discussion.” On X, Zelensky was similarly vague but positive.
“Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”
Zelensky ended his missive, “Thank you @POTUS.”
Vatican protocol dictates that world leaders are seated in order of their country’s name — in French, the language of diplomacy. So, as president of “les Etats-Unis,” Trump had Estonia on his left, Finland on his right, and French President Emmanuel Macron a few seats down.
And, perhaps most importantly, Trump was seated in the first row. Over the years, he’s been vocal about the fact that he believes seating charts are a way to understand who has power and who doesn’t. In 2022, when Queen Elizabeth II died, Trump lamented President Joe Biden’s not-so-prominent place at her funeral, saying that the spot several rows back from the front showed “no respect!” and was a sign that the world no longer took the United States seriously.
“If I were president, they wouldn’t have sat me back there—and our Country would be much different than it is right now!” Trump said. “In Real Estate, like in Politics and in Life, LOCATION IS EVERYTHING!!!”
Now, Trump is president again. Just he as predicted, the country is very different than it was in 2022, and he is in the front row for an event of global importance.
Former president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were also in the crowd. It was unclear whether the Bidens and the Trumps, who were in the same place for the first time since the presidential inauguration in January, greeted or even spotted each other. Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Friday that talking with Biden at the funeral was not “high on my list.”
For Biden, attending Pope Francis’s funeral was a poignant end to a relationship he has treasured for years. Biden, a practicing Catholic and regular churchgoer, liked and had long admired Pope Francis. The two shared similar views – on climate change, on immigration, on helping the poor – and although they held roles bound by centuries of tradition, both prided themselves on removing some of the trappings of power and forging a connection with average people.
After Biden’s son Beau died in 2015, it was Francis who comforted the Biden family. It was Francis who met privately with Biden to talk about cancer research. It was Francis whose photo Biden chose to prominently display in his Oval Office.
And in January, in the waning days of his presidency, Biden had been scheduled to travel to Italy. The trip was centered around a final meeting with Pope Francis. However, because of fires in Los Angeles, Biden canceled the Italy trip at the last minute.
So a different prominent politician of the Catholic faith – Vice President JD Vance – became the last American leader to meet with Francis before he died.
Still, Biden appeared upbeat at Saturday’s funeral. He and Jill Biden arrived early. He sat several rows behind Trump, among some of the less-senior foreign dignitaries. He offered warm greetings to world leaders he’d known from previous interactions, and posing for several smiling selfies.
Further behind the Bidens were other Americans, part of Trump’s delegation: White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, and national security advisor Mike Waltz.
As Francis’ funeral proceeded, Trump mostly sat attentively, and had a brief conversation with the Estonian president.
During the Sign of Peace, the point in a Catholic mass when parishioners traditionally embrace each other or bow heads, Trump shook hands with the leaders standing on either side and behind him, and he kissed the first lady on the cheek.
After the conclusion of the funeral ceremony, Pope Francis was carried in his casket to a waiting Popemobile, beginning a 3.5 mile processional through the streets of Rome.
Shortly before 10 a.m., Trump and his wife exited the church out into St. Peter’s Square, where they were met with balmy spring weather and a bright blue sky.
Trump and the first lady offered a few more brief greetings to other heads of state. Trump was visibly pleased to see King Felipe VI of Spain, smiling and extending his hand for a long handshake.
Then Trump began his processional, too — back into a motorcade headed straight to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport.
Just over an hour after leaving Vatican City, Trump was wheels up on Air Force One, headed back to the U.S. to spend the remainder of the weekend at his golf course in Bedminster — and to celebrate the first lady’s birthday, which was Saturday.
Matt Viser contributed to this report
