Donald Trump Hails Election of First American Pope as a Historic Honor

ByOluwadara AkingbohungbeMay 8, 20251 Mins read20

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost addresses the crowd from the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. Robert Francis Prevost was on Thursday elected the first pope from the United States, the Vatican announced. A moderate who was close to Pope Francis and spent years as a missionary in Peru, he becomes the Catholic Church's 267th pontiff, taking the papal name Leo XIV. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

On Thursday, President Donald Trump expressed his congratulations following the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States.

Speaking on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the event as a tremendous honor for the nation.

“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope,” Trump wrote. “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country.”

Trump also conveyed his eagerness to meet the new pontiff, calling it “a very meaningful moment.” The 69-year-old Pope Leo XIV, a moderate close to Pope Francis and a former missionary in Peru, addressed the crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Italian, marking a historic milestone for the Catholic Church.