Meghan McCain told Sen. Lindsey Graham to “get a grip!” after he backed President Donald Trump to be the next pope.
Trump, who has said he considers himself a non-denominational Christian, jokingly told reporters on Tuesday that he should take the reins at the Vatican to succeed Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88. “That would be my number one choice,” he said.
Graham quickly got in on the joke—while fueling speculation that Trump could seek to get round a constitutional ban to stay for a third term in office. “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,” the South Carolina senator wrote on X.
“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!”
He added: “The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!”
MMXXVIII is the Roman numeral for 2028.
Serious or not, Graham’s tweet got quite a reaction, including from McCain, the former View host turned podcaster.
“Lindsey – get a grip,” she wrote, quoting his message of support for Trump.
Satirical political blogger Jeff Tiedrich also reacted, asking Graham: “Are you high right now?”
Journalist Aaron Rupar replied simply: “Wut.”
“Are you ok?” Republicans Against Trump asked.
Questioned by reporters as he boarded Marine One for a rally in Michigan on Tuesday evening, Trump said he had “no preference” as to who should be the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, before praising Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
Dolan, considered a conservative within the church, will be one of 10 American cardinal electors who will join the conclave in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel from May 7.
Their votes will help determine whether the church continues along the relatively progressive path charted by Pope Francis or shifts course back toward a more traditional doctrine.
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