The Pope may be infallible, but that won’t stop developer Elie Hirschfeld – who met with the pontiff in Rome last month – from endorsing Donald Trump as the next president of the United States of America.
Pope Francis recently drew the Donald’s ire when he said during a trip to Mexico that the GOP candidate’s plan to build a wall on the southern border is “not Christian.” Trump fired back, naturally, saying he envisioned ISIS descending on the Vatican in the near future, adding that the Pope would have “wished and prayed” that he were president if the day comes.
Hirschfeld, who considers both the real estate mogul and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton personal friends, said Trump’s track record of building makes him perfect for the job of president.
“Simply, there’s no more rough-and tumble-game than making it in New York City real estate and the Donald is best equipped to make it happen,” Hirschfeld wrote announcing the endorsement. “Trump is a giant and I would invest with him anytime, and this country would be well-served by having this man as President of the United States.”
The real estate mogul, whose company was behind such buildings as the Hotel Pennsylvania and the Manhattan Mall, recently visited the Pope at the Vatican.
“I was a handshake away from him,” he said, describing a wordless interaction with the Pope, who he said exuded a sense of calm, warmth and graciousness.
Back in the 1980s, Hirschfeld was Trump’s business partner on his megadevelopment known as Penn Yards on the Upper West Side, now called Riverside Boulevard.
Meanwhile, the Clintons are known to vacation at Hirschfeld’s eight-bedroom mansion in East Hampton. They stayed there in 2011 and 2012, but reportedly changed their plans following a dispute over security.
Hirschfeld said he maintains a personal relationship with both Clinton and Trump, but in the end gives the Donald the nod for the big job.