Image of Trump as Jesus Christ and clash with the Pope provoke reaction even among allies

Trump and the image he posted of himself on his social network, Truth Social Getty Images/Reproduction Truth Social The image of Donald Trump as a figure similar to Jesus, combined with a new clash with the pope, is generating a negative reaction — including among his own most faithful supporters. Trump was forced to delete a post on social media that featured an image generated by artificial intelligence in which he appeared as a figure similar to Jesus, with divine light coming from his hands. He stated that the intention was to portray him as a doctor healing people. Still, the post provoked a wave of criticism — not only from opponents, but also from sectors within its own base. Some conservative Christians, traditionally aligned with Trump, called the image blasphemous and disrespectful to religious beliefs. One wrote: “God will not be mocked,” while another described the post as “blasphemy coming from the Oval Office,” asking the president to delete it — which he ended up doing. Donald Trump deletes AI montage in which he appeared as Jesus Christ The decision represents a rare change of position by Trump in the face of public pressure, especially from supporters whose political support he considers essential. Furthermore, the president also came into conflict with Pope Leo XIV, after publishing a harsh attack against the pontiff on the Truth Social network, in response to the pope’s criticism of the war in Iran. Trump declared: “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo.” The pope, in turn, said he did not fear the Trump administration and said he will continue to defend peace and take a firm stance against armed conflicts. On March 31, in conversation with journalists as he left the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, on the outskirts of Rome, Leão’s position was consistent with the Church’s speech: he called for peace, demanded the defense of human dignity and reinforced the need for the parties to seek to sit at the negotiating table. However, Vatican experts and observers have noticed a change in pattern. Instead of indirect criticism, talking about the problem without mentioning the name of the head of state involved, the supreme pontiff clearly cited Trump. With the most recent war conflicts as a backdrop, the disagreements between the two leaders have escalated into a true discursive war, with exchanges of barbs that reveal the opposition of their thoughts and interests. The dispute is considered risky for Trump. He won strong support among Catholic voters in the 2024 election, but this support has already fallen to less than 50% since the attacks on Iran began. Last year, Trump had already published images in which he appeared as the Pope himself, suggesting that perhaps he should assume leadership of the Catholic Church. Although some of his most ardent supporters treat him as a kind of new messiah, even he seems to have recognized that this time he has gone too far.

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