President Donald Trump admitted to personally posting an AI-generated image of a Christ-like figure but said it showed him “as a doctor” and not as Jesus Christ.
“I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor,” he told reporters at the White House on Monday. “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”
The highly controversial image, since removed from his Truth Social account, showed him wearing what appeared to be a white robe and red sash while seeming to heal a man with his hands. The clothing is commonly associated with depictions of Jesus after his resurrection.
The image was posted to his account on Orthodox Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“I said, how did they come up with that? It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better. I do make people a lot better,” Trump told reporters.
The image drew immediate outrage from his own, right-wing supporters who accused him of blasphemy.
Trump’s post came on the heels of his latest criticism of Pope Leo XIV. He called the pope “weak on crime” in a social media post Sunday and repeatedly said he does not want him leading the Roman Catholic Church because of their political differences.
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“Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that 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,” Trump said.
The personal attack follows the first U.S.-born pope speaking out against the war in Iran.
The pope on Monday told reporters he is “not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
“I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,” he said when asked about Trump’s comments.
