Former President Donald Trump sparked a wave of criticism after posting an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as Pope on social media. The post, which appeared on his Truth Social account and the White House’s official X account on Friday night, has drawn ire from various quarters, particularly within the Catholic community.
This attack occurred only eight days after Trump visited Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome. In particular, Trump has never claimed to be Catholic and has the reputation of being a churchgoer shunner. The timing of the image’s release raised eyebrows at the Vatican, which remains in a period of official mourning following Pope Francis’s death on April 26.
In the controversial image, Trump humorously suggested that he could be the next Pope, stating, “I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!” He further remarked, “The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides,” and mentioned that jokes about the upcoming papal selection had circulated throughout the week.
The New York State Catholic Conference, representing bishops in New York, condemned Trump’s actions, asserting, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President.” Even former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was on this page. He called the photo “shameful” and chided the display for demonstrating “pathological megalomania.”
Italy’s left-leaning newspaper la Repubblica, for example, displayed that image front-and-center on its homepage as the Italian press joined recent international outrage over Trump’s remarks. Meanwhile, some allies defended him. Jack Posobiec, a prominent far-right influencer and supporter of Trump, remarked, “I’m Catholic. We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week. It’s called a sense of humour.” GOP Senator Lindsey Graham likewise rushed to Trump’s defense in the heat of the uproar.
Cardinals from all over the world are arriving in Rome for the conclave, where they’ll select a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church. At the same time, Trump’s post has led to growing questions about his close connections to houses of worship. Critics claim that these moves denigrate the Catholic religion and its believers.