Shortly after attacking Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy social media post this Sunday, President Donald Trump shared an image, apparently generated by artificial intelligence, in which he is portrayed as a Jesus-like figure.
The image, published on the president’s profile on his own platform, Truth Social, shows Trump wearing white and red robes. In the illustration, his hands emit beams of light, and his right hand touches the forehead of a man lying in a bed, wearing a hospital gown. The scene is reminiscent of religious paintings that show Jesus healing the sick.
The post was made without any comment, less than an hour after Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV in another post, in which he called him “weak in fighting crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”. The pontiff, the first pope born in the United States to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, has taken a stance against the war between the United States/Israel and Iran, condemning the “absurd and inhumane violence” of the conflict.
In response to Trump’s statements, the pope stated this Monday that he is “not afraid of the Trump administration, nor of speaking loud and clear the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe to be my mission here.”
In the image released on Sunday, the man in the bed appears surrounded by people looking at Trump, including someone in hospital scrubs and a stethoscope around his neck, a woman in prayer and a man in camouflage uniform. In the background, the Statue of Liberty appears, a building reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial, military fighter jets, eagles, fireworks and a flying American flag.
Trump has already published several images, apparently generated by AI, in which he places himself in prominent or reverent positions, which has provoked negative reactions. In May 2025, after the death of Pope Francis, he posted an image in which he appeared as pontiff, generating criticism, including from Catholics.
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In February 2025, Trump also released an image in which he appears wearing a crown on the cover of a magazine similar to Timebut with his own name, in a reference in which he compared himself to a king.
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