Former US President Donald Trump recently shared an AI-generated image portraying himself in a Jesus-like manner, accompanied by a peculiar caption suggesting that “God might be playing his Trump card.”
The image, originally posted by an account named “Irish for Trump” (@Dkelly4congress), features a depiction of a figure resembling Jesus standing closely next to Trump, with both arms embracing him. This move by Trump comes amidst tensions with Pope Leo XIV, a vocal critic of US policies and the conflict between Israel and Iran.
The post by @Dkelly4congress includes a statement that reads: “I was never a very religious man… but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed… that God might be playing his Trump card!”
Trump not only shared the image but also endorsed the caption, commenting that while the “radical left lunatics” may object to the image, he personally finds it “quite nice”.
This incident follows Trump’s previous sharing – and subsequent deletion – of an AI-generated image portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure, depicted as healing a sick individual in a hospital bed.
The initial post on Truth Social, which was taken down after a short period, garnered strong criticism from various political factions in the US, including some of Trump’s own supporters who condemned the portrayal as sacrilegious.
Trump later explained to CBS News that he removed the image due to the confusion it caused, stating that he did not want anyone to misinterpret its intent. The United States has over 70 million Catholics, constituting approximately 20% of the population.
Shortly before this incident, Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV via Truth Social, criticizing the pontiff for being “WEAK on Crime” and ineffective in Foreign Policy matters.
He further expressed disapproval of the Pope’s views on Iran possessing nuclear weapons and condemned his stance on US actions against Venezuela. Trump even suggested that Leo XIV was appointed due to American influence and implied that his presidency prevented a different outcome for the papacy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the portrayal of Jesus in the context of Trump’s images while expressing support for the Pope’s positions.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a Catholic and a staunch Trump ally, labeled Trump’s statements about the Pope as “unacceptable”.
Meloni emphasized the Pope’s role as the leader of the Catholic Church and defended his advocacy for peace and condemnation of warfare. She had previously refrained from criticizing Trump’s harsh words against Pope Leo.
Pope Leo XIV, addressing reporters while on a flight, asserted that he remains steadfast in his beliefs and unafraid of speaking out on Gospel messages