Trump Deletes Jesus-Like Image Amid Feud With Pope Leo

President Donald Trump deleted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself appearing as Jesus Christ from his Truth Social account on April 13, 2026, following significant backlash from critics and some of his own supporters.

The image was posted on the night of April 12, 2026. It depicted the president wearing a white robe and placing his right hand on a man who appeared to be sick or dying. The illustration featured a bright light emanating from Trump’s left hand, while the background included the American flag, eagles, military planes, and the Statue of Liberty.

When questioned by reporters at the White House on April 13, 2026, Trump denied that the image was intended to portray him as a religious figure. He stated that he believed the image depicted him as a doctor and a Red Cross worker.

I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support. It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.

President Donald Trump

Trump further dismissed the interpretation of the image as Christ-like, asserting that only the ‘fake news’ could come up with that one.

Backlash and Blasphemy Claims

The post drew immediate condemnation from various quarters. Megan Basham, a conservative Christian commentator, described the image as OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy in a post on the social media platform X.

Reports indicate that the pushback included reactions from some of the president’s own supporters, which contributed to the decision to remove the post on Monday morning.

Conflict with Pope Leo XIV

The AI-generated image was posted shortly after President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV. In a Truth Social post, Trump described the pope as WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, adding that he is not a big fan of Pope Leo.

The tension between the U.S. President and the Vatican stems from several policy disagreements. Pope Leo XIV has criticized the administration’s mass deportation policies and has urged for peaceful resolutions regarding the war involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

The pope specifically rejected threats made by the president to wipe out a whole civilization if Tehran did not meet U.S. Demands. In response to Trump’s attacks, Pope Leo XIV stated that he has no fear of the Trump administration.

Despite the conflict with the papacy, President Trump is surrounded by several prominent Catholics in his inner circle, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and first lady Melania Trump. While Vance and Rubio met with the pope in 2025, they have not taken public steps to mediate the current dispute.

When asked on April 13, 2026, if he would apologize to the pope, Trump refused, stating that Pope Leo said things that are wrong and arguing that the pope’s opposition to U.S. Policy regarding Iran was unjustified.

The White House did not immediately provide official comments to the press regarding the deletion of the social media post.