Rob Astorino WOR and NewsMax host Interview

Rob Astorino joins Mendte in the Morning to talk about the passing of Pope Francis and the preparations going on in Rome for Saturdays funeral.  

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, the body of Pope Francis is lying in state
at the Vatican as preparations are underway right now for
Saturday's funeral. Also at the Vatican is rob Astorino, our
own rob Astorino, host of The rob Astorino Show on
WOR Saturdays from four to five. He's also host of
Saturday Agenda from one to three on Newsmax, and former

(00:20):
Westchester County executive. Hey, Rob, can you just set the
scene for us and tell us what it's like at
the Vatican.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Well, I'm at Saint Patrick's now, I'm like kidding, Yeah,
I'm here in Rome. It's been an interesting several days, Larry,
because I got here Tuesday morning and he had died
the day before Tuesday, I think Monday. I spoke to you, right,
I was in Madrid and I got here on Tuesday
and it was like a normal day, you know. The

(00:51):
Vatican was open for people to go in, and the
tourists were going to the Vatican Museum because nothing public
had happened yet. And then on Wednesday, yesterday, when he
started to lie in state, everything kind of changed and
they were lines for five hours. Five hours, I mean,
for those familiar with the Vatican, the Via de la Conca,

(01:14):
which is that long kind of pedestrian road that goes
from the bridge straight into the Vatican. Then the obelists
packed and all around the streets packed to get in.
Literally people waiting five hours. And it was warm yesterday,
so people were passing out, so many medics around here,
but the faithful were being faithful and they were going

(01:35):
in to see him. They actually extended the hours into
the evening. It's still long lines today, but a little
less so. And the schedule is Lion state today tomorrow
and then tomorrow night at only two pm New York time,
they'll have the ceremony to formally close the casket, and
then the following day on Saturday as the funeral.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
And when the funeral happened, and you have the most
powerful people in the world, including Donald Jovin Malaney is
showing up there, I would imagine I can answer my
own question, but I think the security for that is
going to be something that they haven't seen for a
long time at the Vatican.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
It's going to be crazy. I mean, right now you
can kind of get around. There are areas that are
cordoned off. The people cannot go but for the most part,
it's just crowded, but you can move around. You're right,
at some point on Saturday, there's going to be restrictions
everywhere and lockdowns everywhere. And I mean, we have our

(02:39):
own location where we're going to be, so I think
we're just going to have to be set there as
all the media. I mean, you know what kind of
happens here. It's just worldwide media, worldwide tourism. It's just
incredible time and it's kind of connected with Easter, and
it's a jubilee year, so every twenty five years the

(02:59):
Catholic ch does something big. And they had literally hundreds
of thousands of kids from around the world that were
supposed to go to a Mass with Pope Francis. That's
obviously changed to something more historical. They're going to the
funeral of Pope Francis.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, but everything you just mentioned is a nightmare for security,
all of those totally, they're going to have to just
all those people, all the faithful you were just talking about,
I would imagine they're all going to be cleared out.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, yeah, I mean to get inside the Basilica for
the actual funeral is something totally different. People can probably
stay outside and watch it on video screens, but it's
just gonna be I wouldn't want I'm faithful, I wouldn't
want to be anywhere near this person. It literally is

(03:51):
just you know, packed with human beings.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
No, that's what it is. And is it like that
right now? I mean what you're in a position right
now where you can see what's going on there.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, I'm in Saint Peter Square, so you know, if
people are getner familiar with you have the obelisk, that
big kind of oval area, and then to the Basilica.
Normally it would be packed inside. Again, it's lines of
people coming in. Probably ten to fifteen people wide is
the line that goes into the basilica, and god knows

(04:26):
how many thousands and thousands long waiting to get in.
So it's just it's an really interesting time obviously to
be here.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah, it's amazing that you were there for this is
Newsmac's going to use you. Are you going to do
hits for them during the funeral?

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Well, yeah, I'm doing my TV show from here in
Rome on Saturday, my radio show for w R here
on Saturday. And you know, he died on a day
that worked out for my schedule. Larry I was in
Madrid ready to come.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
What about you?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah, they said, hey, Coder Romans said, for the week
and cover it for us. Is it okay?

Speaker 1 (05:06):
Well, we were fortunate that you're there, and we'll talk
to you again tomorrow. Rob Astorino, host of The Rob
Astorino Show on WOR Saturdays from four to five, host
of You Know What He's going to be covering on Saturday,
host of Saturday Agenda from one to three on Newsmax,
and of course, former Westchester County executive