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‘Do Not Mock Us’: Trump’s AI Pope Photo Draws Backlash from Catholic Leaders
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By News
Published 4 weeks ago on
May 3, 2025

The controversial image appeared days after Trump joked that being pope "would be my number one choice." (The White House via X)

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President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself dressed as the pope on his Truth Social account Friday, which was later shared by the White House. The post comes just days after Trump joked about wanting to be the next pope, as cardinals get ready to choose a new one following Pope Francis’ death.

“I’d like to be pope,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday after returning from Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome. “That would be my number one choice,” he added, though he later said he had “no preference” about who should take the role.

The AI generated image drew mixed reactions across social media. Some supporters dismissed it as harmless humor, while others found it offensive.

The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, strongly criticized the image. “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.”

Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele criticized the post, saying it “affirms how unserious and incapable [Trump] is.”

This isn’t the first time the Trump team has shared a controversial AI image. In February, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich posted an AI-generated picture of Trump as a king after the administration canceled New York City’s congestion pricing plan.

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with Pope Francis shortly before the pontiff’s death from a stroke that led to irreversible heart failure, according to Vatican records.

Read more at CNBC.

 

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