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Trump deletes AI 'Jesus' photo after MAGA fury and 'blasphemy' storm
The AI-generated image showed Trump in flowing white robes with a glowing hand placed on the forehead of a sick man in a hospital bed.
President Donald Trump has deleted a controversial post from Truth Social that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ. The image drew backlash, including criticism from some Christian and MAGA supporters.
The AI-generated image, posted shortly after Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV, showed him in flowing white robes with a glowing hand placed on the forehead of a sick man in a hospital bed. The scene resembled traditional depictions of Jesus performing a healing miracle. The dramatic scene included American flags, bald eagles, fighter jets, the Statue of Liberty, fireworks, and patriotic crowds.
Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene called it “more than blasphemy… It’s an Antichrist spirit.”
She added, "On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus. This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!"
Conservative commentators like Michael Knowles and Megan Basham demanded he delete it and seek forgiveness.
What Trump said about the Pope
In his Truth Social rant, Trump called the pontiff “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump said. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”
Pope Leo XIV responds
Pope Leo XIV, speaking aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, pushed back calmly but firmly against Trump’s criticism.
“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo said. “And I’m sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.”
He emphasized that the Church's calls for peace stem directly from the Gospel and rejected any equivalence between his message and the president’s rhetoric.
“I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’” Leo said.
“I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that’s possible.”
(With inputs from AP)
