President Donald Trump turned heads at Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday — but not entirely for the right reasons. His choice to wear a bright blue suit to the solemn event sparked outrage across social media, with many users calling it inappropriate for the occasion.
As many know, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were in Rome on Saturday to pay their respects to the late leader of the Catholic Church, taking front-row seats during the emotional farewell ceremony.
Donald Trump at the Funeral
While President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania remained fully respectful throughout the ceremony, many online couldn’t help but focus on Trump’s outfit. He opted for a blue suit — not a deep navy, but a noticeably brighter shade — which stood out sharply against the sea of black attire worn by most of the crowd.
Photos from the event show Donald Trump seated in the front row, appearing to be the only figure in his row not dressed in black, making him all the more conspicuous. To be fair, a few others in the broader section also strayed from traditional black, but Trump’s vibrant suit drew by far the most attention.
On top of that, the Vatican reportedly asked all attendees to wear black to the funeral — so, the suit colour expressly goes against the church’s wishes.
As expected, critics on social media quickly went after the former president, with many — particularly on the left — accusing him of being disrespectful to Pope Francis’ memory by not adhering to traditional funeral attire.
Some also pointed out what they saw as hypocrisy, noting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was previously criticised for not wearing a suit during his meeting with President Trump at the White House. However, it’s worth mentioning that wartime leaders often forgo formal dress in favour of military-style clothing as a show of solidarity with their troops.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to the criticism, telling TMZ, “The President and First Lady honored the life and service of Pope Francis, and anyone trying to distract from that should be ashamed of themselves.”
