Washington: In a diplomatic moment rich with symbolism, former U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Louis Prevost, the elder brother of newly elected Pope Leo XIV, to the White House on Tuesday. The event was confirmed by Margo Martin, Trump’s special assistant, who noted that the former president had expressed anticipation for an eventual meeting with the pope himself while addressing reporters earlier that day on Capitol Hill.
Photos released by Martin late Tuesday evening showed a cordial meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance hosted Louis Prevost and his wife Deborah. Also present was Usha Vance, wife of the vice president. The gathering highlighted personal ties between the Vatican and American leadership, occurring just two days after Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass, where Louis had stood prominently alongside dignitaries.
Louis Prevost, a Florida native and U.S. Navy veteran, has been quietly active in supporting his brother’s ecclesiastical mission. His visit to the White House is seen as both a personal honor and a nod to the strengthening of cultural and spiritual relations between the United States and the Holy See under the new papacy.