Shortly after launching a public attack on Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump is facing strong backlash after sharing an AI-generated image showing a Christ-like figure.
The image posted on Truth Social on April 12 shows Trump undressing and healing a man. The post came just minutes after the Pope criticized the Pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
The reaction was intense. Critics, including political figures and religious leaders, have described the image as inappropriate, with some calling it “blasphemous”.
Former aide Marjorie Taylor Greene also spoke, saying she “absolutely condemns it” and criticized both the image and Trump’s comments about the Pope.
“On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope was absolutely against Trump’s war in Iran, and then he posted this photo of himself as if he were taking the place of Jesus,” Greene wrote. “This comes after his nasty insults on Easter last week and then his post threatening to wipe out an entire civilization. I condemn it completely and I am praying against it!!!”
Senior Catholic figures also pushed back. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley said he was “disappointed” by Trump’s comments, emphasizing that the pope is a spiritual leader, not a political opponent.
“I am disappointed that the President decided to write such derogatory words about the Holy Father,” Coakley wrote. “Pope Leo is not his opponent; nor is the Pope a politician. He is a vicar of Christ who speaks for the truth of the gospel and for the care of souls.”
The controversy has further escalated the already growing conflict between Trump and the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV responded by affirming that his role was to promote peace and the message of the gospel, not to engage in political disputes.
Online, even some of Trump’s supporters took issue with the post, with users urging him to remove it and calling the image offensive.
