Trump jokes that he'd like to be the next pope

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday joked that he would like to succeed Pope Francis, who died last week at the age of 88, Reuters reports.

Trump, asked about whom he'd like to see become the next Catholic pontiff, told reporters: "I'd like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice,” according to Reuters.

Trump noted he actually had no preference, adding, "I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.”

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, is not on the short list of possible contenders for the top spot, but it does include another American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. There has never been a pope from the U.S.

The Vatican’s conclave to choose the next pope will begin on May 7.