A photo of him as , the product of artificial intelligence, was enough to cause the biggest shakeup in his relations with the religious right since he returned to the White House.
The American President has angered Catholic and Evangelical leaders, while opening an unprecedented front of confrontation with the , which threatens to change the political balance ahead of the midterm elections.
“We’re really beside ourselves,” said John Gepp, chief executive of Catholics for Catholics, which maintains close ties to the government. Gepp expressed the believers’ deep sadness and confusion, stressing that the president is treating their faith with disrespect.
Accusations of blasphemy and the spirit of Antichrist
Reactions were fierce from leading figures in conservative Christianity. Rod Dreher, well-known conservative writer, : “I’m not saying Trump is the Antichrist, but he certainly exudes the spirit of the Antichrist.” At the same time, Pastor Douglas Wilson called the image “blasphemy”.
In the controversial image, which has since been deleted, Trump is seen in robes touching the forehead of a patient, surrounded by eerie light, eagles and fighter jets. He confirmed the publication, but claimed that he had no intention of comparing himself to Jesus. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people well,” he told reporters on Monday.
Front against Pope Leo XIV
Tensions escalated further after Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV. The Pontiff publicly condemned the war in Iran, declaring that “God does not bless any conflict.”
Trump responded sharply via Truth Social, accusing the pope of being “weak on crime” and “serving liberals,” even adding that he wouldn’t be in the Vatican if he weren’t in the White House.
This rhetoric has alarmed even his closest allies. While Trump has delivered on important promises to religious voters, the insult to the Pope’s person is seen by many as a “red line.”
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“Pope Leo is SICK of Crime and unacceptable in Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump administration, but he doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian organizations, felt during COVID when they arrested priests, ministers, and everyone else for holding divine services, even when they were outside, ten or even twenty feet apart.
I like his brother Louis a lot more than him because Louis is absolutely MAGA. He understands it, Leo doesn’t! I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs to the United States and, even worse, emptying its prisons—including murderers and drug dealers—into our country. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States, because I’m doing exactly what I was elected to do, WITH A SWEEPING VICTORY: achieving historically low crime rates and creating the greatest Stock Market in History.
Leo should be grateful because, as everyone knows, his election was a shocking surprise. He was not on any list to become Pope and was put there by the Church simply because he was an American, believing that this would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.
If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, the fact that Leo is soft on crime and nukes doesn’t sit well with me, nor does he hang out with Obama sympathizers like David Axelrod, a Leftist LOSER who was one of those who wanted the believers and clergy arrested.
Leo needs to get serious as Pope, use Common Sense, stop pandering to the Radical Left and focus on being a Great Pope, not a politician. This hurts him a lot and, more importantly, it hurts the Catholic Church.”
The cold response of the Vatican
For his part, Pope Leo XIV appeared unfazed. During his tour of Africa, he told reporters: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration. The message of the Gospel is clear: Blessed are the peacemakers”.
“The Pope’s tenure is for life, while Trump is already a president counting down to the exit. For American Catholics, it’s clear which of the two will be here for a long time,” as Nick Rowan characteristically commented.
