Gen Z’s Trump gender gap and Pope Francis’ simple tomb: Weekend Rundown

‘Meet the Press’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told “Meet the Press” that “yes, of course” all people in the U.S., both citizens and noncitizens, are entitled to due process.

His comments come as the Trump administration presses courts to allow the immediate deportations of some immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act without giving them a chance to plead their case before a judge.

Rubio defended the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, which have included deporting three children who are U.S. citizens — ages 2, 4 and 7 — alongside their mothers, according to The Washington Post.

“If those children are U.S. citizens, they can come back into the United States if there’s their father or someone here who wants to assume them. But ultimately, who was deported was their mother, their mothers who were here illegally. The children just went with their mothers,” Rubio told moderator Kristen Welker.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., responded to criticism from a fellow Democratic caucus member for using the term “oligarchy” to describe allies of the Trump administration, saying the “American people are not quite as dumb” as to not understand the term.

Politics in brief

• Divided Dems: Democrats are increasingly acknowledging their path forward can’t simply be a promise to unwind Trump’s policies. They just don’t agree on exactly what the future looks like.
• Campaigns on ice: Republican would-be presidential hopefuls are holding off on laying the groundwork for 2028 campaigns as Trump continues to flirt with the prospect of seeking re-election despite a constitutional two-term limit.
• Out: Several LGBTQ+ events that were due to take place at the Kennedy Center as part of Washington, D.C.’s World Pride celebrations have been relocated, after Trump fired several board members at the center and named himself chairman.

Pope Francis’ final resting place: A humble tomb

A simple tomb bearing no adornment and inscribed only with the Latin name “Franciscus” opened to the public on Sunday, one day after Pope Francis’ funeral.

There were lengthy queues at Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica, where his tomb lies, the first time a pope had been laid to rest outside the Vatican in more than a century.

His casket was received there on Saturday, in accordance with his wishes, by dozens of Rome’s impoverished and needy, including prisoners, migrants, homeless and transgender people.

Francis chose his place of burial because it reflects his “humble, simple and essential” life, the archbishop who administers the basilica said.

Even in death, the pomp-shunning pontiff’s moral voice rang out at his funeral, as the large crowds and world leaders in attendance, including Trump, were reminded of Francis’ central messages.

“‘Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation he repeated many times,” Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said during the homily. “His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.”

Liverpool wins the English Premier League title

With its 5-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, Liverpool bulldozed its way to a record-tying 20 English league titles. It draws Liverpool level with Manchester United as the winningest club in English soccer history.

It was supposed to be a season of transition for the Reds under new manager Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the offseason. It turned out it was a transition straight to Premier League glory.

Notable quote

It was a torturous wait for star Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was the 144th pick in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday — a stunning slide for a prospect considered by many to be a first-round certainty.

In case you missed it

• At least 11 people were killed and multiple injured when a driver plowed into a crowd at a Filipino street festival in Vancouver, Canada. Police say the driver is in custody and they are “confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism.”
• A massive explosion and fire at a port in southern Iran, purportedly linked to a shipment of a chemical ingredient used to make missile propellant, killed at least 25 people and injured more than 800 others.
• Harvard University, America’s oldest and wealthiest institute of higher learning, is at a crossroads as it weathers the Trump administration’s attacks.
• For some cancer patients, immunotherapy may be a way to skip surgery and chemo.
• The Al-Zurai family showed NBC News what life is like for thousands of people in Gaza after the ceasefire broke and Israel began a blockade that has barred the entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies into the enclave.
• Russia acknowledged for the first time that North Korean troops were on the front lines of its war with Ukraine, with a senior military official crediting their role in helping Russian forces reclaim control of the Kursk region.
• The suspect who was arrested in the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse is in the country illegally, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia told NBC News.