A now-deleted artificial intelligence (AI) generated image by the U.S. President has sparked immense backlash across the political divide. It comes as Trump and the Pope continue their fued over the U.S.-led war in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Trump posted the image on his social media platform Truth Social before deleting it on Monday. It appeared to show him as a Jesus-like figure, on the background of a sun, what appears to be U.S. soldiers, eagles and the flag of the U.S., with Trump holding his hand on a man in a hospital gown with his eyes closed - as people pray around.
The image drew wide-ranging criticism including from religious conservatives, particularly from a group that large swathes of, supported him in the 2024 election.
Prominent Trump supporter and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, who has appeared with Trump at his political rallies, condemned the post on social media platform X:
Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?
Either way, two things are true.
1) a little humility would serve him well
2) God shall not be mocked https://t.co/GViHqWeDEr — Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 13, 2026
David Gibson, the Director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University which is a Catholic school, questioned the purpose of posting it but also whether this would turn voters away from him.
"Will this move cross a red line for them? Will they finally punish Trump and the GOP at the ballot box?" he said. "This is a watershed moment - will Catholics in America choose the pope or the president?”
Trump denied on Monday that the image was intended to show him as a Jesus-like figure. Soon after removing it, he told reporters at the White House that the post was "supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better".
After Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July 2024, some evangelical supporters said it was evidence he had been blessed by God.
Meanwhile, U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV has been heavily critical of the America-Israel war in Iran, asking Trump for an "off-ramp".
An hour before the AI image was posted, Trump posted on Truth Social:
"Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons", he continues "terrible for Foreign Policy." and says he doesn't "want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon".
Trump signed off the post calling on Leo to "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician".
Leo has rebuked the continual attacks against him, saying that he has "no fear" of Trump's administration. On Monday (13 April), he spoke in Algeria saying he denounced neocolonial world powers violating international law. This is seen as a sideswipe at the U.S.-Israel war.
This isn't the first time Trump has been at loggerheads with the leader of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, publicly opposed Trump's deportation policies as "un-Christian". After Francis died last year but before Leo was elected, the President posted an image depicting himself as the Pope.
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