Donald Trump has been facing backlash for allegedly violating the dress code at the Pope’s funeral by showing up in a blue suit and matching blue tie. The Vatican’s strict guidelines for the Pope’s funeral required men to wear a dark suit paired with a long black tie and a white shirt. Accessories like shoes, socks, coats, and umbrellas were also supposed to be black.
However, Trump isn’t the only one facing backlash. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went without a tie, while Joe Biden also wore a blue tie. The three leaders have been accused of showing “disrespect,” as other world leaders adhered to the tradition of wearing all-black attire.
Not Following the Guidelines
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The president, who was sitting in the front row alongside hundreds of foreign dignitaries and royalty, wore a mid-blue suit, adorned with an American flag pin and a glossy blue tie. Traditionally, dark, formal clothing is worn at such events as a sign of respect — a custom many mourners, including Sir Keir Starmer, followed.
Melania Trump, who sat next to her husband on her 55th birthday, chose a modest black coat, with a lace veil and gloves.
World leaders were among the hundreds of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the funeral, with many arriving hours early or even overnight to secure a spot.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered the funeral homily, remembering the Pontiff as “a pope among the people, with an open heart,” who championed a more compassionate and welcoming Catholic Church.
This controversy over Trump’s dress comes less than two months after Zelensky was slammed for being “disrespectful” when he visited the Oval Office without wearing a suit — something that reportedly irritated Trump at the time.
Today, the president was lambasted by onlookers, who said his dress made him stand out “like a sore thumb” among the other leaders.
Not the Only One
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Prince William also faced criticism for attending the funeral in a dark navy suit, although he complied with the dress code by wearing a black tie. The guidelines for the late Pontiff’s funeral required men to wear dark suits, a long black tie, and a black button on the left lapel — a space reserved only for Vatican honors.
The Catholic Church’s directives also specified that women should wear closed-toe black shoes.
Meanwhile, patriarchs and cardinals were asked to wear their white damask miters, and archbishops and bishops had to appear in their amice, surplice, cincture, and red stole.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky also did not wear a traditional black suit to the funeral either, instead opting for an all-black combat-style jacket over a black shirt and trousers.
