Rubio Says His Trip to Vatican Was Planned Before Trump Dustup

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said his upcoming trip to Rome and the Vatican was planned before President Donald Trump got into a spat with Pope Leo XIV, characterizing the visit as part of regular engagement with the Holy See.

Rubio is set to meet Italian and Vatican leaders during a May 6-8 visit. The decision to travel there, made public on Monday, had prompted speculation that Rubio, who is Catholic, was going on a clean-up mission to repair relations strained by Trump’s back and forth with the pope and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

“It’s a trip ...