Former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope. This provocative image has drawn sharp criticism, especially as it coincides with the upcoming gathering of cardinals tasked with selecting a new leader for the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church. The timing is particularly sensitive, coming just days after Trump made a light-hearted comment about wanting to be pope himself.
Trump, who is neither a Catholic nor a regular churchgoer, shared the image on his Truth Social platform late on a Friday. This post followed closely on the heels of the funeral for Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 last month. The White House subsequently shared the image on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, further amplifying its reach and controversy.
The AI-generated picture depicts a solemn-looking Trump seated in an ornate chair, adorned in white papal vestments and headdress, with his right forefinger raised. This irreverent portrayal incited immediate outrage, even among some Republicans. A faction within the party, identifying themselves as “pro-democracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism,” reposted the image on X, condemning it as “a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith.”
The reaction from the Vatican was muted, with spokesperson Matteo Bruni opting not to comment during a press briefing focused on the upcoming papal election process, which is slated to begin on May 7. However, the sentiment of disapproval was echoed by former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who took to X to express that the image “offends believers, insults institutions, and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.” Renzi also highlighted concerns about the American economy, indicating that it risks slipping into recession while the dollar loses value.
In the United States, the Catholic bishops of New York state weighed in, stating, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis, and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”
Earlier in the week, Trump humorously suggested that he would be his own preferred choice for pope, but he also acknowledged the presence of a “very good” candidate in New York, referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York. Although Dolan is not on the shortlist of potential papal candidates, another American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, is among those being considered. Notably, there has never been a pope from the United States.
Earlier this year, both Trump and the official White House social media accounts shared another AI-generated image of the former president wearing a royal crown, accompanied by the caption: “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” Such posts have led to ongoing debates regarding the appropriateness of Trump's humor.
As Trump’s motorcade arrived at his golf club in West Palm Beach on Saturday morning, supporters like Debbie Macchia, 60, expressed their views. “He was clearly joking. Clearly joking,” she commented, adding that she would not want to see anything sacrilegious associated with the pope. This incident continues to raise questions about the intersection of politics, faith, and humor in contemporary discourse.
