Donald Trump has once again shared an AI-generated religious-themed portrayal of himself, along with a peculiar caption suggesting that “God might be playing his Trump card.” The US president uploaded a screenshot to his Truth Social account of an image portraying a Jesus-like figure embracing him, in what appears to be a deliberate move amid tensions with Pope Leo XIV, a prominent critic of US and Israeli actions against Iran. The picture, originating from an account named “Irish for Trump” (@Dkelly4congress), features a Jesus-like figure with long hair and a beard standing beside Trump with arms wrapped around him.
The caption accompanying the image 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 shared both the image and the caption, expressing his approval despite anticipating disapproval from “radical left lunatics.”
This development follows Trump’s previous posting and subsequent deletion of an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure apparently healing a sick individual in a hospital bed. The initial post on Truth Social, published on Sunday night and removed the following morning, triggered criticism from various segments of the US political landscape, including some of his own supporters who deemed it blasphemous.
In an interview with CBS News, Trump explained that he took down the image due to confusion among viewers, stating that he did not want anyone to be misled. With over 70 million Catholics in the US, constituting about 20% of the population, the controversy surrounding the images has sparked significant debate.
Just before sharing Sunday’s image, Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, criticizing his stance on crime and foreign policy. Trump voiced his disapproval of the Pope’s views on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and America’s actions towards Venezuela, accusing Leo of being influenced by American interests due to his nationality.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned what he labeled as the “desecration of Jesus” while also expressing solidarity with the Pope. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a Catholic and Trump’s close ally, denounced the US president’s remarks about the Pope as “unacceptable,” emphasizing the Pope’s role in advocating peace and denouncing warfare.
In response to the controversy, Pope Leo XIV affirmed his commitment to spreading the Gospel message without fear of the Trump administration, emphasizing his duty to uphold peace and condemn acts of war.
