Donald Trump and White House Share AI Image of US President As Pope, Photo Sparks Outrage Online
- Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as the pope, sparking outrage online
- The official X account of the White House reposted the image, drawing criticism on social media
- The Catholic bishops of New York expressed their displeasure, telling Trump not to mock them
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WASHINGTON, DC – Donald Trump has once again sparked outrage online.
The President of the United States of America, who is no stranger to controversy, has angered many after sharing a photo on his Truth Social platform.
Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself on social media as the pope, and the White House's official X account reposted it later.
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Trump admits he’d like to be pope
The US President shared the image days after he joked that he would like to be pope. On 29 April 2025, Trump joked that he would be his own first choice to become pope. He then added that there was a “very good” candidate in New York, referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan. There has never been a pope from the US.
Trump’s comments came as a date was announced for the Papal Conclave. Cardinals will meet on 7 May to begin the process to elect a new head of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church.
Conclave will be held following the passing of Pope Francis. The pontiff passed away on 21 April 2025. His death sparked reactions from South African politicians who expressed their condolences.
The pope passed away after a short illness, with many hopeful of a full recovery after he made a public appearance after he was discharged from the hospital.
Source: Getty Images
Trump’s post sparks outrage
Trump’s image of himself as the pope sparked outrage among many.
A group calling themselves Republicans against Trump described it as a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi didn’t hold back with his thoughts either.
“This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown,” he said on X.
The Catholic bishops of New York also expressed their displeasure with Trump’s actions.
“There is nothing clever or funny about this image. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis, and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St Peter. Do not mock us,” they posted on X.
Social media users criticise Trump’s actions
Social media users also weighed in on Trump’s posts, and while they made light of it, others were not impressed.
Lelo Umadlamini stated:
“This guy is a lunatic, and he’s getting worse by the day.”
Thabo Bucs said:
“Yes, it was a joke. But this guy is not well upstairs.”
Tichaona Makaye added:
“This is a high level of stupidity.”
@HelenaVillarO asked:
“Are you aware this is very disrespectful for Catholics, right?”
@Tutsy22 stated:
“This is distasteful and very disrespectful to Catholics.”
Some questioned why the official White House account retweeted Trump’s post:
@Mr_Derivatives asked:
“Why did the White House tweet this?”
@intocryptoverse questioned:
“How is a government account posting this?”
@shen_shiwei also asked:
“How could the US government’s official account do this?”
@CamCovington stated:
“I had to check that this wasn’t a parody account. This is disgusting.”
@SiphiweNodwele said:
“This has got to be the most baneful and sacrilegious public statement from the United States Government. If shame and moral scruples had any value in this administration, this abominable post would be deleted. But alas, depravity reigns supreme.”
Pope Francis passes away at 88
Briefly News reported on 21 April that Pope Francis passed away at his home in Casa Santa Marta at the age of 88.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, he became the first Argentinian to become the leader of the Catholic church.
His death also marked the solemn process to find his successor, in which Cardinals elect a new pope.
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Source: Briefly News
