By Helen Coster and Joseph Ax
April 13 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated picture of himself as a Jesus-like determine on Sunday, drawing widespread criticism even from some spiritual conservatives who usually assist him, earlier than deleting the put up on Monday.
The put up on Trump’s Reality Social platform got here amid his escalating feud with Pope Leo, who has criticized the U.S.-Israeli warfare in opposition to Iran as inhumane. Shortly earlier than publishing the picture, the president posted a prolonged screed in opposition to Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK on crime and horrible for Overseas Coverage.”
Leo, the primary U.S.-born pope, stated in response to Trump’s assaults that he had “no worry” of the Trump administration and would proceed to talk out. In a forceful speech on Monday in Algiers, he denounced “neocolonial” world powers who’re violating worldwide legislation, with out particularly referring to america.
Sunday’s put up, depictingTrump in a white gown with an apparently therapeutic hand on a susceptible man’s head, might create a rift between Trump and the spiritual proper, whose assist was vital to his victory within the 2024 election.
Within the painting-like picture, Trump holds a glowing orb in a single hand and useshis different hand to the touch a seemingly sick man on the brow. The Statue of Liberty, fireworks, a fighter jet and eagles may very well be seen within the background.
The put up was eliminated on Monday morning. The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Brilyn Hollyhand, who served because the co-chair of the Republican Nationwide Committee Youth Advisory Council, wrote on X: “That is gross blasphemy. Religion will not be a prop. You don’t must painting your self as a savior when your file ought to communicate for itself.”
Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer and outspoken critic of transgender athletes in girls’s sports activities who has appeared with Trump at rallies, wrote on X she couldn’t perceive why Trump posted the picture.
“Does he really suppose this?” she wrote. “Both method, two issues are true. 1) slightly humility would serve him properly 2) God shall not be mocked.”
Trump, who doesn’t attend church recurrently, gained giant majorities of Christian voters within the 2024 election. He made beneficial properties amongst Catholic voters, who backed him by a 56% to 42% margin after splitting extra evenly in earlier elections, in accordance with an evaluation by Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Washington College and a former pastor.
After Trump narrowly survived an assassination try in July 2024, some evangelical supporters stated it was proof https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-supporters-see-his-narrow-escape-death-gods-work-2024-07-16/ he had been blessed by God.
Final 12 months, after the demise of Pope Francis, Trump posted a picture exhibiting himself as pope https://www.reuters.com/enterprise/media-telecom/trump-posts-ai-generated-photo-himself-pope-2025-05-03/, prompting outrage from many Catholics.
In current weeks, Leo has change into one of the distinguished critics https://www.reuters.com/world/leo-first-us-pope-emerges-pointed-trump-critic-2026-04-02/ of the warfare in Iran, even making an uncommon direct attraction to Trump and urging him to search out an “off-ramp.”
Leo has additionally stated that Jesus can’t be used to justify warfare and that God rejects the prayers of those that begin conflicts. These remarks have been broadly seen as a rebuke to Trump officers like U.S. Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth, who has cited scripture https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/evangelicals-amplify-trumps-religious-framing-iran-war-2026-04-08/ to justify using “overwhelming violence” in opposition to enemies and likened the rescue of a U.S. airman inside Iran to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Trump additionally feuded https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-migration-stance-overshadowed-ties-with-pope-francis-2025-04-25/ at instances with Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who publicly opposed Trump’s deportation marketing campaign as un-Christian.
Not less than eight members of Trump’s cupboard are Catholic, together with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Bishop Robert Barron, who serves on a Trump-created spiritual liberty fee, stated on X that the president owed Leo an apology for his “inappropriate” statements on social media. However he additionally praised Trump in the identical put up for his outreach to Catholics.
(Reporting by Helen Coster and Joseph Ax; Extra reporting by Joshua McElwee and Gram Slattery; enhancing by Donna Bryson and Alistair Bell)
