On May 2, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope on his Truth Social account and shared to X, seated on a golden throne and wearing full papal regalia. The post was shared without a caption but quickly sparked widespread reaction online.
The image was published just days after Trump made comments suggesting he would choose himself as the next Pontiff following the death of Pope Francis. “I’d like to be Pope,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on April 30. “That would be my number one choice” (Time Magazine).
The timing of Trump’s post coincided with the Novemdiales—the traditional nine-day mourning period observed by the Catholic Church following the death of a Pope. Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025.
Public reaction was swift and divided. On Truth Social, many supporters dismissed the post as humorous or satirical, while others expressed concern over its insensitivity.
Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele criticized Trump on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“During this period of Novemdiales (mourning the loss of Pope Francis) I’ll set this offense aside because Trump in his narcissism gets off on our being offended. More to the point, this affirms how unserious and incapable he is. At 78 he remains a 10yo child, emotionally scarred and broken while desperate to prove he could be somebody. His problem: he can’t grow up to prove it.”
Additional backlash came from members of the public and religious communities, with many calling the image disrespectful to Catholic traditions, particularly during a period of mourning.
Here are additional verified public reactions and media responses to President Trump’s AI-generated image of himself as the Pope, along with source links:
1. MJTruth (@MJTruth on Truth Social)
Supportive of Trump’s post, MJTruth wrote:
“This picture of President Trump as Pope is GOLD. The triggered are hilarious.”
Source: Truth Social – MJTruth
2. Gertabelle (@Gertabelle on Truth Social)
Gertabelle dismissed the backlash:
“People freaking out over a meme? Trump has always used humor to expose the absurdity of media and politics.”
Source: Truth Social – Gertabelle
3. TropicalBirdSuzie (@tropicalbirdsuzie on Truth Social)
Criticizing the image, she posted:
“This is blasphemous. Trump dressed as the Pope while Catholics are mourning? Total disrespect.”
Source: Truth Social – tropicalbirdsuzie
4. Ruth Rahm (@ruthrahm on Truth Social)
Ruth Rahm added:
“He knows exactly what he’s doing. This isn’t just a joke—it’s an ego stunt, and it’s sickening.”
Source: Truth Social – ruthrahm
5. Media Coverage – People Magazine
People magazine reported that the AI-generated image, posted during the mourning period for Pope Francis, was perceived by many as offensive and poorly timed:
“Trump’s image went viral, with critics calling it disrespectful.”
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