United States Sen. Lindsey Graham is receiving backlash online for a social media post in which he apparently endorsed President Donald Trump for the position of Roman Catholic Pope.
The post came after the president was asked by a reporter for his thoughts on who the next pope might be following the passing of Pope Francis. The papal conclave will begin its process of selecting a new pope next week.
“I’d like to be pope,” Trump joked. “That would be my No. 1 choice.”
“No, I don’t know. I have no preference. I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good,” Trump added, apparently referring to Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. “So we’ll see what happens.”
Graham, a Republican who represents South Carolina, posted a video of Trump’s remarks.
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“I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,” wrote Lindsey. “This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!”
“The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides,” Lindsey added. “Watching for white smoke….Trump MMXXVIII!”
Graham is a Southern Baptist.
Lindsey’s post appears to have been made in jest, but some online found the post more offensive than funny. Given Graham’s unwavering support for Trump, some questioned whether Graham was, in fact, joking.
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Meghan McCain, media personality and daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, simply posted, “Lindsey – get a grip.”
