Donald Trump has dismissed criticism over an AI-generated image depicting him as the Pope, saying the backlash is being fuelled by the “fake news media” rather than Catholics themselves.
The US president shared the image on his Truth Social platform, where it was later reposted by the official White House X account. The image showed Trump in full papal attire, including a white cassock and bishop’s mitre, and was posted during the official nine-day mourning period for Pope Francis, who died on 21 April. The conclave to elect his successor is due to begin Wednesday.
Asked by a reporter about Catholic backlash, Trump said: “Ohh, I see. You mean, they can’t take a joke? You don’t mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media. The Catholics loved it.”
He went on to brush aside concerns about the timing of the image, joking: “Maybe it was AI… my wife thought it was cute. Actually, I would not be able to be married \[if I were the Pope]! It’s the fake news media – they’re fakers.”
When pressed on whether sharing such content from the official White House account diminishes its credibility, Trump snapped: “Give me a break. Somebody did it in fun.”
The image sparked outrage among Catholic groups and Italian commentators. The New York State Catholic Conference said, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President… Do not mock us.” Italy’s La Repubblica accused Trump of “pathological megalomania,” while former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called the post “shameful.”
Despite the outcry, Trump’s allies rallied to his defence. Far-right commentator Jack Posobiec, a practising Catholic, dismissed the uproar as lacking humour, writing: “We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week.”
Trump had joked just days earlier about becoming Pope himself: “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice.” His allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, even played along, suggesting Trump as a “dark horse candidate.”