Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, who worked to instill progressive influences on the global church while maintaining unity with conservatives amid years of turmoil, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. 

He was 88 years old.

«Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church,» Farrell announced.

«He taught us to live the values ​​of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.»

U.S. Vice President JD Vance had just met with the pope on Sunday.

«I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,» Vance said early Monday morning in a post on X.

The pope preached frequently on the Catholic virtues of mercy, kindness and humility. He did not shy away from controversy, and American presidents, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden, were not immune from his views. 

Less than a month into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the pontiff criticized the Republican’s plans for the mass deportations of migrants, stressing that the forceful removal of people simply for their immigration status deprives them of their inherent dignity and «will end badly.» 

In a strongly worded letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops, the pope appeared to counter remarks made by Vice President JD Vance — who had recently converted to Catholicism — after he suggested Americans should care for family, communities and the country before caring about others. 

«Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups,» the pontiff wrote. «Worrying about personal, community or national identity, apart from these considerations.» 

POPE FRANCIS EXPOSES CONFIDENTIAL DETAILS ABOUT HIS ELECTION AND RELATIONSHIPS IN LENGTHY INTERVIEW 

Pope Francis meets with bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral workers in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 15, 2022. (Reuters/Pavel Mikheyev)

Pope Francis in 2015 became the first pontiff to ever address a Joint Meeting of Congress where he spoke on a range of topics including immigration, family, the death penalty, climate change, extremism, religious freedom and the refugee crisis. 

He joined American bishops and urged American leaders to abolish capital punishment and said Congress has a «role to play» in addressing global warming. 

In 2022 he questioned then President Biden’s conscience on abortion in an interview during which he described the commander-in-chief’s religious identity and views on abortion as incoherent. «A month after conception, the DNA of the fetus is already there and the organs are aligned. There is human life,» the pontiff said in the interview with Spanish-language outlet Univision. 

He also weighed in on candidates Trump and Harris during the election campaign, where he bashed them both, saying, «Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,″ he said, according to the Associated Press. 

Just weeks before President Trump’s second inauguration, he appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy to be the Archbishop of Washington. McElroy had been critical of Trump’s immigration policies during his first term as president. 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, Francis made history as the first pope from the Americas — as well as the first Jesuit to hold the office.  

He was elected pope in 2013 after the almost unprecedented retirement of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.  

Bergolio’s father, Mario, was an accountant for the railway industry, and his mother, Regina, was a homemaker and caregiver for her five children.  

POPE FRANCIS FUELS NEW SPECULATION ON FUTURE OF PONTIFICATE 

Pope Francis, born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is shown here with his family. From left to right, standing, brother Alberto Horacio, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Oscar Adrian and sister Marta Regina, sitting, sister Maria Elena, mother Regina and father Mario Jose Francisco. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Throughout his early years, the future pope worked a number of menial jobs. He labored briefly in the stocking factory where his father was an accountant before moving on to other opportunities, including jobs as a bar bouncer and janitor.  

He eventually sought a career as a chemical technician, receiving a diploma in chemistry from the secondary school Escuela Técnica Industrial N° 27 Hipólito Yrigoyen. He also worked briefly in a food laboratory. However, his career in chemistry was short-lived. 

He entered the priesthood at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto in Argentina. Francis was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession with the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, in 1973. The same year, he was appointed as a provincial for the order.  

His appointment as provincial was concurrent with the Dirty War, a period of intense state-led persecution of left-wing leaders and political dissidents. Bergolio experienced constant threats to his own safety as he worked to hide or aid in the escape of government targets, including many Catholic faithful.  

Pope Francis’ is a fan of Argentina’s San Lorenzo Futbol Club. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

During that time, two Jesuit priests under his supervision were disappeared by the government, drugged and left barely alive in a field five months after their kidnapping. Pope Francis has said he was forced to negotiate with the regime for their release.  

Bergolio would spend the next two decades bouncing from position to position at the direction of his superiors. He served as a professor of theology, seminary instructor, rector, doctoral student and parish priest.  

In 1992, Pope John Paul II appointed Bergolio as titular Bishop of Auca and as an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. This was done at the request of Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who consecrated him to the episcopacy.  

Bergoglio proved vital to the nation’s Catholic community, and he was quickly raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving alongside Quarracino and taking over the archdiocese entirely after his death the following year.  

Bergoglio was given the crimson hat of a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.  

In 2013, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, selecting the pontifical name «Francis» after St. Francis of Assisi — a choice that set the tone for the rest of his papacy.  

POPE DERIDES BIDEN’S ABORTION VIEWS, CATHOLIC SELF-IDENTITY AS ‘INCOHERENCE’

Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave of cardinals, at the Vatican on March 13, 2013. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out, signaling at the time that the Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a pope to succeed Benedict XVI. (Tony Gentile/Reuters)

Pope Francis’s teachings as a priest, bishop, cardinal and pope were deeply influenced by his Jesuit vocation — viewing each person as a unique creation of God, with whom they can have a personal relationship. His ministry and leadership were committed to keeping doors open and making the church approachable to the public.  

It was not only American politics that he had strong opinions of. 

He faced criticism for specific remarks he made against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave «very serious and shameful.» During that same speech, he condemned the growth of antisemitism throughout the world, Reuters reported. He also called for an end to the war in Ukraine and expressed concerns over climate change.

In 2023, seemingly looking to strike a balance, he formally allowed Catholic priests to give same-sex couples a blessing, which was seen as being a radical shift in church policy, the Associated Press reported at the time.   

Pope Francis is also remembered for living a life of intense simplicity, denying himself a lavish papal apartment in the Vatican upon his election, and opting instead for a two-room suite in the Domus Santa Marta, a residence built by Pope John Paul II.  

Pope Francis celebrates the traditional rite of the washing of feet at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary on April 6, 2023, in Rome, Italy. On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis went to the outskirts of Rome to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Casal del Marmo juvenile penitentiary, where he carried out the traditional rite of the washing of the feet of twelve of the young people there. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In contrast to his immediate predecessors, Pope Francis eschewed ornate robes or luxurious clothing. His outfit rarely consisted of more than a plain, white cassock tied with a papal fascia.  

Pope Francis even dressed down his Ring of the Fisherman — a piece of gold jewelry worn by popes to signify their office — by having it made with silver and only wearing it for ceremonies.  

Francis’s tenure continued the ongoing efforts to investigate decades of sexual abuse claims against priests across the world, including in the United States, with Francis vowing transparency in 2019. 

«Transparency is now being implemented at the highest level,» said Archbishop Charles Scicluna, the Archbishop of Malta and Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, after Francis gave legal authorities access to documents about sexual abuse cases and abolished the «pontifical secret» of the cases.  

POPE FRANCIS DEFROCKS NOTORIOUS BISHOP WHO CONFESSED TO ABUSING HIS NEPHEW 

Pope Francis meets President Donald Trump during his first term in the Private Library of the Apostolic Palace with his wife, Melania, his daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner.  (Vatican/Pool/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)

He continued Benedict’s work to root malicious clerics out of the Church hierarchy «with the wrath of God,» appointing task forces and establishing victim aid groups.  

Pope Francis proved frustrating for a wide variety of conservatives, liberals, traditionalists and progressives. 

His gentle — at times vague and confusing — language on key social issues, such as sexuality and divorce, frustrated conservatives hoping for a more aggressive champion of Catholic moral teaching. 

In July 2017, a group of Catholic clergy and academics sent Pope Francis a «Filial Correction» document alleging seven serious theological mistakes made by the pontiff in public statements. The document’s assertions proved controversial within the Catholic Church and the document was never explicitly addressed.  

Conversely, his refusal to back down from traditional church teachings on abortion, gay marriage, women’s ordination and priestly celibacy frustrated progressives hoping for a more modern church.  

Echoing his time as a prelate in Argentina, Pope Francis was at times criticized from both sides of the aisle for his heavy hand enforcing Catholic unity on national and international levels.  

Traditionalists voiced intense opposition to his apostolic letter «Traditionis custodes,» which restricted the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in an attempt to squash increasingly separatist conservative movements within the Church.  

Pope Francis meets with then-President Joe Biden during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 29, 2021 in Vatican City.  (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool)

He similarly shut down discussion of many social issues that progressives have sought to reform.  

In 2019, Pope Francis told a nun asking him to approve the ordination of women that «if the Lord didn’t want a sacramental ministry for women, it can’t go forward,» adding, «We are Catholics, but if anyone wants to found another church they are free [to do so].»  

The hyper-progressive leadership of the Catholic Church in Germany was a target of his ire after the country’s clerical leaders attempted an upheaval of traditional teachings regarding gender and sexuality. The Vatican issued a series of letters, approved by Pope Francis, accusing the German church of risking separation from the Catholic Communion.  

The conflict with German bishops encapsulated his papacy’s recurring themes of authority and unity, best exemplified in a passage from his «Letter to the Pilgrim People of God in Germany.»  

POPE FRANCIS URGES CATHOLIC VOTERS TO ‘CHOOSE THE LESSER EVIL’ BETWEEN TRUMP AND HARRIS

Pope Francis delivers a speech during the Holy Mass with newly appointed Cardinals.  (Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In the letter, Pope Francis wrote, «The universal Church lives in and of the particular Churches, just as the particular Churches live and flourish in and from the universal Church. If they find themselves separated from the entire ecclesial body, they weaken, rot and die. Hence, the need always to ensure that communion with the whole body of the Church is alive and effective.»  

Pope Francis visited dozens of countries, including the United States and Cuba in 2015, and went as far afield as Papua New Guinea, as well as visits to predominantly Muslim countries including Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. 

Pope Francis struggled with health complications throughout his reign.  

The pontiff dealt for many years with sciatica, a nerve condition that caused immense pain in his leg and at times hindered his ability to walk.  

In 2021, Pope Francis was hospitalized for an intestinal surgery that removed 13 inches of his colon. 

In March 2023, Francis was again taken to the hospital after experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty breathing. He was treated for a respiratory infection and released after antibiotic treatment. 

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Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives at the Apostolic Prefecture on Sept. 1, 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. According to the Vatican, the trip was Pope Francis’s 43rd Apostolic Journey abroad and the 61st country he visited as Pope.  (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In June of the same year, the pope was brought back for another abdominal surgery to repair an incisional hernia. He was released after making a full recovery.  

He took a fall at his residence and suffered a contusion on his right arm in January 2025.   

In February, he was once again hospitalized after a bout of bronchitis.  

Following Pope Francis’ death, the Vatican has entered a time of sede vacante — in English, «empty seat.»  

The Associated Press, Reuters and Fox News’ Annie Butterworth contributed to this report. 

Luego de que el presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, le propusiera a Nicolás Maduro el intercambio de más de 250 ciudadanos venezolanos deportados por Estados Unidos que permanecen en cárceles salvadoreñas a cambio de que su colega devuelva a la misma cantidad de presos políticos, llegó la respuesta del presidente venezolano, quien rechazó la oferta, dijo que el salvadoreño tiene secuestrados a sus conciudadanos y exigió su liberación.

Bukele había hecho su propuesta el domingo, a través de un posteo en la red social X. «Quiero proponerle un acuerdo humanitario que contemple la repatriación del 100 % de los 252 venezolanos que fueron deportados, a cambio de la liberación y entrega de un número idéntico (252) de los miles de presos políticos que usted mantiene», expresó el extenso mensaje del presidente salvadoreño, en el que aseguró además que la propuesta formal sería enviada por la Cancillería de su país.

La respuesta de Maduro llegó este lunes a través del programa de televisión «Con Maduro +», que él mismo conduce. “Bukele es un violador serial del derecho a la libertad, al trato justo y la dignidad del ser humano”, afirmó el venezolano durante su más reciente emisión, y más tarde aseguró que «Bukele ha actuado bajo los patrones y los cánones de la violación serial de los derechos humanos y ha actuado en los esquemas de los nazis».

En su respuesta, Maduro aseguró que la oferta de Bukele es «completamente ilegítima, ilegal, abusiva” y que dejó en evidencia que el país centroamericano “tiene secuestrados” a los venezolanos deportados por Estados Unidos. El venezolano aseguró además que los detenidos en El Salvador no cometieron ningún delito en ese país.

«Yo le digo señor Bukele, póngase a derecho, diga dónde están enjuiciados, qué causa qué delito cometieron, permita el acceso de sus abogados y familiares a la visita en la prisión donde los tiene secuestrados, abandone el camino de la desaparición forzosa», instó Maduro este lunes, y pidió al salvadoreño que firme “un decreto dándole la libertad incondicional” a los deportados y permita «regresar a Venezuela a todos los 252 muchachos”.

Entre los presos políticos cuya libertad reclamó el presidente de El Salvador figuran Rafael Tudares, yerno de Edmundo González; el periodista Roland Carreño; la abogada y activista Rocío San Miguel; la señora Corina Parisca de Machado, madre de María Corina Machado y los cuatro dirigentes políticos asilados en la embajada de Argentina.

Además, hay personal de campaña, activistas y periodistas, muchos de ellos detenidos tras las protestas que siguieron a las elecciones de julio pasado, cuestionadas por falta de transparencia.

Señor @NicolasMaduro, usted ha dicho en numerosas ocasiones que quiere a los venezolanos de regreso y en libertad.

A diferencia de usted, que tiene presos políticos, nosotros no tenemos presos políticos. Todos los venezolanos que tenemos bajo custodia fueron detenidos en el…

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— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) April 20, 2025

Bukele también había incluido en su pedido a “los casi 50 ciudadanos detenidos de otras nacionalidades: estadounidense, alemana, dominicana, argentina, boliviana, israelí, chilena, colombiana, ecuatoriana, española, francesa, guyanesa, neerlandesa, iraní, italiana, libanesa, mexicana, peruana, puertorriqueña, ucraniana, uruguaya, portuguesa y checa”.

“La única razón por la que están encarcelados es por haberse opuesto a usted y a sus fraudes electorales”, había expresado el salvadoreño el domingo.

Por su parte, El Salvador mantiene en una cárcel de máxima seguridad a un grupo de ciudadanos venezolanos. Entre ellos, hay presuntos criminales de la pandilla Tren de Aragua y migrantes irregulares que fueron deportados por Estados Unidos.

La propuesta se produjo en momentos que el país centroamericano se encuentra bajo un intenso escrutinio internacional por recibir a venezolanos deportados por el gobierno de Donald Trump, que los acusó de ser presuntos pandilleros con escasas pruebas.

Human Rights Watch acusó recientemente a Estados Unidos y El Salvador de la desaparición y detención arbitraria de venezolanos y denunció que las autoridades salvadoreñas y estadounidenses no han dado información a los familiares del paradero de los deportad

Por su parte, las elecciones de 2024 en Venezuela fueron tildadas de fraudulentas, luego de que Maduro se autoproclamase ganador sin mostrar las actas que validasen ese resultado. Por su parte, la oposición presentó pruebas, avaladas por observadores internacionales, de una votación que le daban la ventaja por 2 a 1 al candidato opositor Edmundo González.

No obstante, Maduro fue declarado ganador de los comicios por las autoridades electorales sin que hasta ahora hayan publicado las actas de votación.

Former President Joe Biden and his administration found themselves embroiled in a series of gaffes and controversies around the Easter holiday, including that time the Easter bunny abruptly whisked the 46th president away from a gaggle of reporters in 2022. 

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump joined families and children on the White House’s South Lawn on Monday morning for the 147th annual event, which dates back to Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidency in 1878. 

As the Easter Egg Roll tradition continues this year, Fox News Digital looked back on the handful of Easter controversies involving Biden and his administration throughout his term in office. 

Easter bunny whisks Biden away at Egg Roll 

During the 2022 Easter Egg Roll, a person dressed in a bunny suit was seen approaching Biden as he spoke candidly to members of the media about Afghanistan and Pakistan. The bunny stepped in front of Biden while he was speaking to the media and waved their hands with great animation before directing Biden away from the reporters. 

«Pakistan should not, and Afghanistan should be…» Biden was heard saying before the bunny approaches. 

«Oh, the Easter bunny!» someone can be heard saying off-camera, as Biden appeared visibly caught off guard by the interruption. 

‘EASTER BUNNY’ WHISKS BIDEN AWAY AS HE STARTS DISCUSSING AFGHANISTAN: VIDEO

Biden was then seen walking away from the reporters. 

During the 2022 Easter Egg Roll, a person dressed in a bunny suit was seen approaching Biden as he spoke candidly to members of the media about Afghanistan and Pakistan.  (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The bunny incident unfolded ahead of the fierce scrutiny Biden faced from Democrats and conservatives over his mental acuity and age in the lead-up to the 2024 election. 

Footage of the Easter bunny directing Biden at a public event was rehashed as concern mounted last summer over whether the president had the mental and physical ability to continue running for re-election and potentially remain in the Oval Office. Biden ultimately dropped out and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat Party’s nominee. Harris ultimately failed to rally enough support to defeat Trump at the polls. 

Biden administration honors Trans Day of Visibility on holy Christian holiday

The Biden administration landed in hot water with the religious faithful and conservatives during the 2024 Easter season when honoring «Transgender Day of Visibility» on Easter Sunday. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden administration landed in hot water with the religious faithful and conservatives during the 2024 Easter season when honoring «Transgender Day of Visibility» on Easter Sunday. 

«On Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirm our Nation’s commitment to forming a more perfect Union — where all people are created equal and treated equally throughout their lives,» said a White House statement recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter Sunday, Fox Digital previously reported. 

«Today, we send a message to all transgender Americans: You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You belong. You are America, and my entire Administration and I have your back,» it added. 

3 MONTHS AND 28 DAYS: LGBTQ EVENTS CLOG CALENDAR AS WHITE HOUSE FACES BACKLASH OVER EASTER ANNOUNCEMENT

International Transgender Day of Visibility was created by activists more than 10 years ago and is celebrated each year on March 31, while Easter — t​​he most holy holiday for Christians — moves its day of celebration each year, but is always observed on a Sunday. 

Conservatives, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ripped the White House’s decision to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility on Easter, calling it an attack on Christianity.

«The Biden White House has betrayed the central tenet of Easter — which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ,» Johnson posted to X last March. «Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as «Transgender Day»—is outrageous and abhorrent. The American people are taking note.»

Former White House spokesman Andrew Bates defended at the time that Biden, as a Christian, was working to bring «people together» with the event.

«As a Christian who celebrates Easter with family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,» Bates told Fox Digital last year. 

Biden appears to introduce the «Oyster» bunny 

Biden suffered another Easter gaffe last year at the White House’s Egg Roll when he apparently flubbed the pronunciation of «Easter» and appeared to say «oyster» instead while introducing a pair of Easter bunnies. 

CRITICISMS MOUNT THAT BIDEN IS A ‘SHADOW’ OF HIMSELF AFTER DISASTROUS DEBATE: ‘NOT THE SAME MAN’ FROM VP ERA

«God bless you all, enjoy the day, and I’m coming down to do that Easter Egg roll in just a minute,» Biden said while standing on the White House’s Truman Balcony overlooking the South Lawn. 

Biden suffered another Easter gaffe last year at the White House’s Egg Roll when he apparently flubbed the pronunciation of «Easter» and appeared to say «oyster» instead while introducing a pair of Easter bunnies. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

«Thanks everybody. And by the way, say ‘hello’ to oyster bunnies. Come on up, bunnies. Get up here so they can see you,» Biden appeared to say. 

The apparent gaffe drew mockery online as some users wished each a «Happy Oyster.» It stirred concern over the president’s mental acuity over the mispronunciation. 

Biden White House press secretary delivers flat April Fools’ prank with Easter bunny 

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre delivered a flat April Fools’ joke in 2024 when the White House hosted the Easter Egg Roll. 

A person dressed as the Easter bunny was spotted in the press briefing room on April 1, 2024, before Jean-Pierre joined the media and delivered a joke that Biden was set to revoke the Hatch Act. 

The Hatch Act bans executive branch staffers, except the president and vice president, from engaging in certain forms of political activity. 

«Happy Easter Monday. So, I have something at the top for all of you and I think you’ll be really interested in this. So, President Biden is scheduled to announce he is revoking the Hatch Act,» Jean-Pierre said, grinning, while delivering the April Fools’ joke. «So as a gift to all of you, so now I can actually take all your questions about 2024.»

«No? I thought you would love that,» she responded as journalists demured. «All right. OK. April Fools’, April Fools’, April Fools’ — it is April 1st.»

DEMS LEFT WITH EGG ON THEIR FACE AS DNC APPEARS TO SNUB BIDEN ON EASTER

The administration’s Hatch Act joke followed repeated instances of administration officials citing the law while dodging questions about Biden’s 2024 campaign. 

This year, the Democratic National Committee shared an Easter message celebrating Democratic presidents across the year, but notably did not include a photo of Biden. Instead, the post featured former Presidents Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. 

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The Trump administration on Monday posted a side-by-side video of both Trump and Biden at their respective White House Easter Egg Rolls on Monday with the caption, «BREAKING: The White House is no longer a nursing home.»