President Donald Trump took down a controversial artificial intelligence-created image from his Truth Social account on Monday after facing sharp criticism from religious supporters who typically back him.
The digitally-generated picture, shared on Sunday, showed Trump wearing white robes while placing his hand on a man’s head in a healing gesture reminiscent of biblical imagery. The image also featured a glowing sphere in Trump’s hand, with the Statue of Liberty, fireworks, military aircraft, and eagles visible in the background.
The controversial social media post emerged during Trump’s intensifying public conflict with Pope Leo, the first pontiff born in America. Leo has condemned the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran as inhumane. Just before sharing the image, Trump had published a harsh attack on Pope Leo, labeling him “WEAK on crime and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
When confronted by reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump rejected suggestions that the image portrayed him in a Christ-like manner, dismissing such interpretations as “fake news.”
“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better,” Trump explained to journalists shortly after removing the post.
The incident has created tension between Trump and some of his religious conservative supporters, whose backing proved essential in his 2024 electoral victory. Several prominent Republican figures publicly criticized the image.
Brilyn Hollyhand, who previously served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee Youth Advisory Council, posted on X: “This is gross blasphemy. Faith is not a prop. You don’t need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself.”
Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer and vocal opponent of transgender participation in women’s athletics who has joined Trump at campaign events, also expressed confusion about the post on X.
“Does he actually think this?” she questioned. “Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.”
Christian voters, including Catholics, represent a crucial segment of Trump’s political coalition. Despite his irregular church attendance, Trump secured overwhelming support from Christian voters in the 2024 election, including Catholics who had previously been more evenly divided politically.
Following Trump’s narrow survival of an assassination attempt in July 2024, some evangelical supporters interpreted the incident as divine intervention.
David Gibson, who directs the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, a Catholic institution, characterized the situation as a critical test for American Catholics.
“Will this move cross a red line for them? Will they finally punish Trump and the GOP and at the ballot box?” Gibson questioned. “This is a watershed moment – will Catholics in America choose the pope or the president?”
Bishop Robert Barron, who sits on a religious liberty commission established by Trump, called the president’s social media statements about Leo “inappropriate” and suggested an apology was warranted, while simultaneously commending Trump’s Catholic outreach efforts.
When asked about apologizing to the pope, Trump told reporters Monday he had “nothing to apologize for.”
In recent weeks, Pope Leo has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the Iranian conflict, making an unprecedented direct appeal to Trump to seek an “off-ramp” from the military engagement.
Leo has also stated that Jesus cannot be invoked to justify warfare and that God rejects prayers from those who initiate conflicts. These comments were widely interpreted as criticism of Trump administration officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has referenced scripture to defend using “overwhelming violence” against adversaries and compared the rescue of an American airman in Iran to Christ’s resurrection.
This isn’t Trump’s first papal controversy. He previously clashed with Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who publicly criticized Trump’s deportation policies as un-Christian. After Francis’s death last year, Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as pope, which also sparked outrage among Catholics.
However, Gibson noted that Trump’s confrontation with Leo has escalated beyond his previous disputes with Francis.
“American presidents and American Catholics have disagreed with popes in the past,” Gibson observed. “But this is disrespect. Disrespect is way different than disagreement, and that’s the danger for Trump here.”
Trump’s current cabinet includes at least eight Catholic members, among them Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
