Entertainment

Donald Trump Names His Dream Successor for Pope Francis

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After attending the funeral of Pope Francis over the weekend, President Donald Trump had an interesting thought about who could succeed the Catholic leader.

When asked by reporters on the White House lawn about his choice for the next pope, Trump mused for a second before answering with a smile.

“I’d like to be pope,” he joked. “That would be my number one choice.”

In all seriousness, the president said he has “no preference” about the upcoming papal conclave, which is set to begin on May 7. However, he did admit to some hometown bias.

“I must say we have a cardinal who happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good,” he noted, likely referring to New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. “We’ll see what happens.”

Dolan offered the invocation during Trump’s second inauguration ceremony in January. He also led Pope Francis’ funeral mass service at New York City’s famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, April 26.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan laughs alongside Donald Trump at the Alfred E. Smith Foundation Dinner on Oct. 17, 2024.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty

While the appointment of an American pope is technically a possibility, experts recently told PEOPLE it’s highly unlikely.

“I think that there’s no chance for an American pope just because the United States is already so powerful in the world,” admitted Dr. Bill Cavanaugh, a professor of Catholic studies at DePaul University.

The current frontrunners to succeed Pope Francis include Cardinal Luis Tagle of the Philippines, Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.

Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, traveled to Rome over the weekend to attend Pope Francis’ funeral service alongside many other foreign dignitaries and world leaders.

The April 26 service happened to coincide with the first lady’s 55th birthday, though a source told PEOPLE that Melania – the first practicing Catholic first lady since Jackie Kennedy – was “honored” to attend the funeral, regardless of its timing.

“She respected the pope,” a social source tells PEOPLE. “It is a sad time for Catholics around the world, and the first lady is honored to go to the funeral.”

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For his part, the president took some flak following the funeral service for wearing a blue suit and tie, rather than the traditional black.

However, PEOPLE later confirmed that Trump was not necessarily breaking protocol. The Vatican does not list a funeral dress code on its website, and an insider told PEOPLE that attire for the April 26 ceremony was left up to the individual.

“Attendees wore what they considered to be appropriate attire for such a solemn occasion,” a Vatican source said.

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Blue Ivy appearance, setlist, more

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The Cowboy Carter tour kicked off last night at SoFi Stadium and Beyoncé truly provided for her BeyHive. From the Carter Girls getting back in formation to the setlist, Page Six is breaking down everything you need to know. Watch the full video to learn more about the FOMO worthy moments.

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Meghan Markle Was Told Couldn’t Model Skincare Because of Freckles

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Meghan Markle opened up about some of the challenges she faced during the early days of her career during the most recent episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, which landed on Tuesday, April 29
During a discussion with IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima, Meghan said she wasn’t submitted for beauty or skincare commercials “because I had freckles”
The duchess also spoke about being “typecast” because of her race

Meghan Markle is now one of the most recognized faces in the world, but back in her early modeling and acting days, she faced lots of rejection.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, opened up about some of the roadblocks she faced as an unknown during the Tuesday, April 29 episode of her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast.

Speaking with IT Cosmetics founder Jamie Kern Lima about past beauty standards, Prince Harry’s wife said that when Kern Lima was starting her beauty business, she was auditioning for commercials.

“And I remember [I could not be submitted] for beauty or skincare ads because I had freckles,” Meghan recalled.

Meghan Markle in 2011.

Charley Gallay/WireImage

Markle said her freckles were a non-starter, noting, “They’re like, ‘No, no, no, no. It’s just never gonna work because freckles aren’t a sign of beauty.’ “

That wasn’t the only reason Markle faced rejection early on. She also shared how her race worked against her in the entertainment industry.

“I heard no all the time, especially because I wasn’t cookie-cutter for a specific type,” she explained. “And at the start of my auditioning career, you were either the Black girl or the White girl or the Latina girl or the like, everything was typecast.”

The mother of two said that while she “could get into a lot of rooms,” that meant she “heard ‘no’ even more.”

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Meghan landed a series of small parts before her recurring role as Rachel Zane on the hit legal drama Suits.

To show off her natural beauty, the duchess went makeup-free on Kern Lima’s podcast — The Jamie Kern Lima Show, which landed on Monday, April 28. The interview marked her first-ever podcast interview outside of her own.

Meghan Markle goes makeup-free on ‘The Jamie Kern Lima Show.’.

Jamie Kern Lima/Youtube

“Usually when we’re together, we’re in our cozy sweats and no makeup,” Kern Lima shared of herself and Meghan. “So that’s how we are today, too, sitting right here in our cozies with no makeup. And I’m inviting you into the rocking chairs with us.”

At one point in the episode, she was seen wiping away what seemed to be tears while discussing her children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3.

“I wasn’t expecting that one!” Meghan said with a laugh. “They’re just great, it’s so great — this is why it’s nice not to have makeup on.”

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Beyoncé ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour setlist: Songs on opening night

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It’s a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown.

Beyoncé kicked off her “Cowboy Carter” tour Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The music superstar opened her three-hour show with “Ameriican Requiem” and ran through some of her biggest hits, including “Formation,” “Cuff It” and “Crazy in Love,” before closing out the evening with “Amen.” (See the full 36-song setlist below.)

Beyoncé, 43, announced in February that she was taking her 2024 country album, “Cowboy Carter,” on the road.

She unveiled her tour dates the morning after the critically acclaimed project won three awards at the 2025 Grammys, including album of the year.

Prior to opening night, Queen Bey had performed songs from “Cowboy Carter” only once — during halftime at the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans’ Christmas Day game.

Netflix livestreamed the 13-minute show, to which 27 million people tuned in, before releasing it as a standalone special titled “Beyoncé Bowl” the next day.

This is the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s first tour since 2023’s “Renaissance,” which grossed nearly $580 million across 39 cities.

“Cowboy Carter” will have a much more limited run, making just seven stops in the US and two in Europe.

The trek is scheduled to wrap up in July at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Check out the complete setlist from Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour opener: