Trump Deletes Controversial AI Image After Christian Backlash

Donald Trump deleted a social media post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure healing the sick after facing significant backlash from Christian communities, including some of his own supporters. The former president later claimed the AI-generated image portrayed him as a doctor rather than a messianic figure.

Trump posted the controversial image to Truth Social on Sunday evening, shortly after criticizing Pope Leo XIV for opposing the Iran war. In his attack, Trump accused the first American pope of “catering to the Radical Left.”

When questioned by reporters on Monday, Trump acknowledged posting the image himself but insisted it was misinterpreted. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and having to do with the Red Cross,” Trump explained. “There’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support.”

However, observers noted there was nothing in the image clearly depicting the Red Cross or a Red Cross worker, though it did include a nurse. Trump maintained it was the media’s fault for interpreting the image as blasphemous, saying, “Only the fake news could come up with that one. I just heard about it and I said, ‘How do they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better.”

The president made these comments during a media event at the Oval Office while receiving a McDonald’s delivery. Reporters were invited to witness the fast food delivery ahead of Trump’s visit to Las Vegas to promote his “no tax on tips” policy. During the event, he tipped delivery worker Sharon Simmons, described as a “Doordash Grandma,” a $100 bill.

The backlash to Trump’s post came not only from traditional religious circles but also from within his own support base. Riley Gaines, a conservative activist known for campaigning against transgender women in women’s sports, criticized the president’s judgment, posting to her 1.6 million followers on X: “Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?”

Michael Knowles, a prominent MAGA media personality with nearly 1.5 million followers, urged removal of the image, saying: “I assume someone has already told him, but it behoves the president both spiritually and politically to delete the picture, no matter the intent.”

This isn’t the first time Trump’s Truth Social account has sparked controversy with AI-generated content. In February, he posted a video containing false claims about the 2020 election that included a clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. On that occasion, the White House blamed a staffer for the post.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo responded to Trump’s attacks with calm defiance, stating he was not afraid of the administration and would continue preaching the gospel. “That’s what I believe I am called to do, and what the church is called to do,” he told reporters. “We are not politicians, we’re not looking to make foreign policy.”

Leo, a Chicago native and the first American pope in the church’s 2,000-year history, had drawn Trump’s ire for criticizing the war in Iran and the administration’s immigration policies. Trump labeled him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”

The president’s remarks drew international condemnation, including from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a conservative leader who has typically maintained close relations with Trump. Meloni called Trump’s attack on the pope “unacceptable,” underscoring widespread anger in Italy over his comments.

American religious leaders also expressed dismay. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by Trump’s disparaging words, emphasizing that “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

Sam Sawyer, a Jesuit priest and editor-in-chief of Catholic America Magazine, cautioned against taking Trump’s “bait,” suggesting the president was attempting to focus attention on himself rather than on Leo’s calls for peace. “Christian faith is being misused and disgraced by those, including the president, who claim to act in its defence while ignoring its meaning and values,” Sawyer wrote.

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, downplayed the conflict on Fox News, suggesting it would be better for the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality… and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.”