Melania Trump’s ‘awkward’ meeting with Pope Francis revisited after his passing
A look back at the confusing moment between the First Lady and the Holy Father during an emotional time
Following the death of Pope Francis at 88, memories of his many encounters with world leaders have resurfaced—including one awkward moment during his 2017 meeting with Melania Trump that’s now being revisited.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, passed away on April 21 at the Vatican. His death was due to a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure, according to the Holy See Press Office.
Throughout his 12 years as pope, Francis traveled to 68 countries, meeting countless world leaders and inspiring millions with his message of compassion and humility. His historic address to the U.S. Congress in 2015 and meetings with American presidents like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden showed his commitment to dialogue across political divides.
A complicated relationship with Donald Trump
Before meeting face-to-face, Donald Trump and Pope Francis had already exchanged public criticisms. Trump questioned the pope’s behavior early on, while Francis openly criticized Trump’s immigration policies, famously saying, “A person who thinks only about building walls, and not building bridges, is not Christian.”
Despite their clashes, President Trump and First Lady Melania visited the Vatican in 2017. The visit was cordial but carried a moment of unexpected confusion—specifically between Melania Trump and the pope.
The ‘awkward’ moment with Melania Trump
During their meeting, Pope Francis, thinking Melania spoke Italian, tried to engage her in conversation without a translator. At one point, he asked her—in Italian—if she fed her husband “potica,” a traditional Slovenian dessert.
Melania did not immediately understand and had to rely on an interpreter before replying, “Potica, yes.” Later, when offered a rosary to be blessed, she responded in English, adding a polite “grazie.”
Author Mary Jordan, in her biography The Art of Her Deal, revealed that Melania’s language skills were a point of confusion. Though she had previously claimed to speak five languages, including Italian, Jordan suggests Melania might have exaggerated her fluency to enhance her image, much like public figures often do.
Melania has often said she is fluent in English, Slovenian, French, German, and Italian. However, experts and reporters, including Mary Jordan, have struggled to find public evidence of her fluency beyond English and Slovenian.
In Jordan’s book, she notes that the White House did not respond when asked for proof of Melania’s multilingual abilities. Video clips show Melania using basic greetings like “bonjour” and “ciao,” but no full conversations in other languages.
Some speculate that nerves, respect for her stepdaughter Ivanka Trump (who does not speak Italian), or the overwhelming nature of meeting the pope could have influenced Melania’s choice to speak English during the meeting.
While critics question whether Melania truly speaks five languages, the incident also reminds us that public figures—no matter how polished—are human too. Feeling nervous or caught off guard is something everyone can relate to, even when standing beside one of the most revered figures in the world.
Today, as people around the world mourn Pope Francis, revisiting moments like this brings a human touch to the legacy he leaves behind: one filled with compassion, humility, and sometimes, a little humor.
