WASHINGTON, US - APRIL 29, 2025: US President Donald Trump appeared to joke Tuesday that he would like to be the next pope as the Catholic Church prepares to select its next leader following the death of Pope Francis. "I would like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice," Trump replied about his preference on Francis' successor. "I don't know. I have no preference. I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be at a place called New York, who's very good. So we'll see what happens." Trump was speaking to the media before boarding Marine at the White House. The Vatican announced Monday that cardinals from around the world will meet next month in a secret conclave to elect the next pope. The closed-door gathering is set to begin on May 7 inside the Sistine Chapel and will include around 135 cardinals. The election process, steeped in centuries-old tradition, comes after Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. His funeral was held on Saturday. There is no official timetable for how long the conclave may last, though the previous two papal elections—in 2005 and 2013—were both concluded within two days.