Trump nearly snubbed the pope

(Image credit: EVAN VUCCI/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump very nearly became the first American president since World War II to forgo an audience with the pope, The New York Times reports.

Former President George W. Bush's ambassador to the Vatican, James Nicholson, helped set up the meeting between Trump and Pope Francis when he realized Trump's advisers were waiting for an invitation to the Vatican — apparently unaware that it was their responsibility to request the audience.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.