Following Pope Francis’ passing, Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope, triggering backlash online for perceived mockery of the Catholic Church.
May 3, 2025: U.S. President Donald Trump is facing severe backlash after sharing an AI-generated image of himself in papal attire, just days after joking he’d “like to be Pope.” The post, shared via Truth Social, comes shortly after the death of Pope Francis, prompting accusations of insensitivity and religious disrespect.
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Pope Francis, 88, died last month due to a stroke and heart failure, according to Vatican doctors. His funeral was attended by global leaders, including Trump. But what followed has ignited controversy.
Trump’s image — portraying him seated in papal robes and bearing a striking resemblance to iconic Vatican portraits — quickly went viral. While some of his supporters called the post humorous or clever, many on social media condemned it as offensive.
“This is disrespectful to the Church and God himself… he’s literally the antichrist,” one user wrote.
Another posted: “This is disgusting and entirely offensive.”
A third commented: “How dare you mock the sacred process of electing a new pope.”
The backlash was intensified by Trump’s recent comment when asked about who he wanted as the next pope:
“I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice,” he said, before vaguely adding that a “very good cardinal from New York” could be considered.
The remark, though offhand, was later backed in jest by Senator Lindsey Graham, who tweeted:
“Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!”
Many Catholics and political commentators have since blasted the post and the tone-deaf humor, especially given the sensitive timing and the sacred nature of papal traditions.
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