During Pope Francis’ funeral, the US president reportedly “disrespected” protocol, earning him the nickname “disgr.ace.”
Following a requiem mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, the cherished late pope was buried on Saturday, April 26, at Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the Vatican to pay their respects after Pope Francis’ untimely death on Easter Monday.
The former head of the Catholic Church passed away at the age of 88 from a stroke and heart problems, and more than 200,000 people, including 50 world leaders and members of the royal family, attended the funeral procession in St. Peter’s Square.
The VIP lineup included Prince William, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
Millions of people watched, though, and some of the attendees seemed to resonate with them—and not in a positive way.
Trump in particular has come under fire for not just one but multiple instances of “disgraceful” behavior at the funeral. His very presence prompted criticism after it was implied that he attended primarily to win over his Catholic supporters.
These are all the contentious incidents involving Trump.
Trump’s blue suit
The fact that Trump chose to wear a bright navy suit instead of black made him stand out like a sore thumb among the sea of attendees, as viewers quickly pointed out.
In order to honor the recently departed, black, the color of mourning, is customarily worn to a Catholic funeral.
The POTUS wasn’t the only person to deviate from the all-black funeral dress; Prince William also wore a dark blue suit.
Since other religious people don’t adhere to the same strict guidelines, some people assume that Trump and William chose not to wear black as a sign of their non-Catholicism.
Donald Trump is asked why he decided to go to the Pope Francis’ funeral.
He starts babbling about how he won the Catholic vote and made it all about himself like a quintessential narcissist. pic.twitter.com/UOR0oXvHV3
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) April 25, 2025
On the carpet, standing
Aside from his suit, Trump was also spotted approaching Pope Francis too closely, as evidenced by his toes crossing the carpeted area surrounding the coffin.
The Art Newspaper claims that because the carpet beneath the coffin represents the “holy ground” that is designated for the deceased pope, guests are not permitted to walk on it.
However, both Trump’s and Melania’s shoes tiptoed onto the hallowed rug rather than politely approaching the foot of the coffin to pause for a moment of prayer and contemplation.
Other mourners, however, were able to avoid the coffin and the rug surrounding it.
Chewing gum, sleeping, and sending texts
Your body language may give away that you’re a little bored, but there are also more obvious indicators, such as scrolling through your phone, dozing off, and chewing gum.
Viewers saw Trump using his phone, momentarily “nodding off,” and then chewing gum while seated in the front row during the funeral, suggesting that he was able to accomplish all of the aforementioned tasks at different points in time.
The president was seen at one point learning to type on his phone in his hand, then looking up and putting it away.
Later, while sitting in the front row and in direct view of the cameras, he opened a packet of gum and threw it into his mouth. He was also seen catching some Zzz’s with his mouth open and his eyes closed.
Trump was the only person spotted eating and sleeping, but it’s important to note that other people were also using their electronics during the ceremony, and some of them took pictures of the pope’s coffin as it passed.
In addition to leaving the pope’s funeral early, Trump also wasted no time in leaving after it was over, as viewers saw him quickly leave to return to the United States.
On social media, many were equally quick to criticize the president’s actions during the funeral.
One said, “Trump is obviously the only jacka** to attend a funeral in a blue suit and blue tie. It’s such an embarrassment.”
Like the other world leaders, Donald Trump was unable to show respect by attending Pope Francis’ funeral in a black suit. Another yelled, “He always has to stand out and try to be the center of attention.”
“Trump at the Pope’s funeral,” chimed a third. No classic black suit, slouched and dozing! Simply blasphemous!
“Trump fell asleep at the Pope’s funeral, he walked on the rug that was under the casket (a big no no), refused to wear a dark suit, said he was looking forward to a fun trip (it’s a freaking funeral, nimrod), and left well before it was over,” wrote a fourth, who summed up the entire situation.
“Sheesh.”
