Travel pool report #1 — Motorcade rolling to the Vatican

Good morning from Rome on this cool but sunny morning. The motorcade is rolling from POTUS RON as of 9:12 a.m. CEST toward the Vatican for Pope Francis’s funeral, which starts at 10 a.m. CEST.

Had brief eyes on POTUS as he rolled by the pool van in the Beast.

Pool is hoping to have eyes on POTUS during the ceremony but will know more when we get there. Will endeavor to send as many pool reports as possible — especially with any notable movements or reactions from POTUS — but we are anticipating cell service could be a challenge given the number of attendees expected.

No word of potential meetings with any foreign dignitaries. Among the others in attendance: A delegation from Argentina, Francis’s home country, led by Argentinian President Javier Milei; Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer; French President Emmanuel Macron; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prince William.

You can find the 87-page order of the service (in English, Italian and Latin) here:

Megan Messerly

White House Reporter

POLITICO