U.S. President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ on Truth Social, only to delete it 12 hours later amid accusations of blasphemy.
Trump also expressed displeasure toward Pope Leo XIV, who has criticized the Iran war, saying, "If I weren't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican either." The Pope indicated he did not wish to "engage in an argument" with President Trump but signaled his intention to continue calling for an end to the war.
According to Reuters on Tuesday, the Pope made the remarks aboard his plane en route to Algeria for an Africa tour, stating, "I believe the message of the Gospel should not be abused as some people do."
"I will continue to raise my voice against war and seek just solutions by promoting peace and encouraging dialogue and multilateral relations between nations," he added. The Chicago-born Pope spoke to reporters in English.
The Pope repeatedly emphasized the injustice of war. "In the world today, too many people are suffering, too many innocent people are dying," he said. "Someone has to step up and say there is a better way."
Quoting the Gospel of Matthew, the Pope said, "The Church and I, the message of the Gospel is 'Blessed are the peacemakers.'" He distanced himself from accusations of political bias, saying, "I do not see my role as political or as a politician."
Having initially refrained from commenting in the early days of the Iran war, the Pope has recently continued his criticism of President Trump. On May 10, he posted on X, "A disciple of Christ, the King of Peace, does not side with those who once took up the sword and today drop bombs." The following day, at a special prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica, he declared, "Enough of the idolatry of ego and money! Enough of displays of power! Enough of war!" He also raised his voice against Trump's threat of "civilizational destruction" ahead of negotiations with Iran, calling it "truly unacceptable."
In response, Trump posted on Truth Social the previous day, saying Leo "should properly get his act together, use common sense, stop pandering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a great Pope, not a politician."
Trump also posted a composite image depicting himself appearing like a savior or Jesus.
The image, believed to be AI-generated, showed Trump draped in white robes and a red cloth, surrounded by a radiant glow, holding something luminous in his left hand. American symbols including the Stars and Stripes, the Statue of Liberty, and the bald eagle were positioned around him.
His post drew criticism even from conservative Christian circles.
Prominent conservative evangelical author Megan Basham wrote, "I don't know if the President did this for fun or was on drugs, and I don't know how he'll explain this outrageous blasphemy, but he needs to take the post down immediately and ask forgiveness from the American people and from God."
The post was ultimately deleted 12 hours after it was uploaded.
After the deletion, Trump told reporters that he had indeed posted the image himself, claiming it depicted him in the role of a doctor.
"I make people better. I make them much better," he also claimed.
