President Trump generated an AI image of himself as the pope

By Gloria Nosa

President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope on his Truth Social platform. The image, which shows Trump in full papal regalia, was shared just days before the Catholic Church’s conclave to elect a new pope following the death of Pope Francis. The White House later reposted the image on its official X account.

The timing of the post, during the official mourning period for Pope Francis, has drawn criticism from various quarters. Catholic groups, Italian media, and political figures have labeled the image as disrespectful and offensive. The New York State Catholic Conference accused Trump of mocking the solemn papal transition. Italian politicians and newspapers criticized the act as tasteless and megalomaniacal.

Despite the backlash, Trump and his allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham and influencer Jack Posobiec, defended the post as humorous. Trump even jokingly suggested he would like to become pope and promoted Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York as a potential candidate, which raised further concerns due to attempts to influence the secretive papal conclave process.

The incident has reignited discussions about the use of AI-generated images in political discourse and the boundaries of satire and respect. While some supporters viewed the post as a joke, critics have questioned the appropriateness of such content during a period of mourning for a religious leader.