As the conclave approaches, Trump tweets an AI image of himself as pope, offending and insulting Catholics.
Days before the conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor is scheduled to start, US President Donald Trump uploaded an artificial intelligence image of himself as pope, sparking allegations of bad taste from the Roman Catholic world.
Trump uploaded the Photoshopped photo of himself with his forefinger up, wearing a white cassock and papal headdress, to his Truth Social platform late Friday. A few days earlier, Trump had quipped that he would “like to be pope.” The White House then reposted it on its official X account.
Less than a week had passed since Trump, who is not a Catholic, went to Francis’s funeral last month. The Vatican continues to observe an official period of mourning for the pope.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to comment on the matter, but while no one suggests that the image is a serious distraction from the task of selecting the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, it has generated criticism and raised eyebrows on social media, including from cardinals who will be in Rome for a conclave next week.
The 66-year-old Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David posted on Facebook, saying, “Not funny, Sir.”
When asked by reporters prior to his Sunday Mass in Rome, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, was equally harsh.
Asked whether he was offended by the image, Cardinal Dolan – who Trump hinted he favors for the next pope – replied, “Well, it wasn’t good.”
Trump’s post was also called “silly … you don’t do that” by Father Gerald Murray, an Archdiocese of New York priest who was at the Mass at Cardinal Dolan’s parish on Sunday.
Matteo Renzi, the former prime minister of Italy, denounced the picture as disrespectful to Catholics. He posted on X, saying, “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions, and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around.”
The Italian media took notice of Trump’s post. The Italian daily La Repubblica called the president “infantile” and accused him of “pathological megalomania.”
CNN polled several American tourist groups in St. Peter’s Square, and while none of them wished to be identified, their responses ranged from “absurd” to “typical.”
Trump’s foreign supporter, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said her office would not comment on the situation.
Catholic organizations in the US also reacted negatively to the image. In a post on X, the New York State Catholic Conference, which bills itself as the voice of New York’s bishops, stated: “Mr. President, this image is neither creative nor humorous.
“We recently laid to rest our dear Pope Francis, and the cardinals will soon convene in a solemn conclave to choose St. Peter’s successor. Don’t make fun of us.
However, Trump’s pro-Catholic stance was maintained by the White House.
When asked to address the criticism, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “President Trump has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty, and he flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral.”
Others close to Trump emphasized that it was a joke.
“I’m a Catholic. All week long, we have been joking about the impending appointment of the Pope. Jack Posobiec, a far-right activist, remarked on X, “It’s called a sense of humor.”
Trump has already used AI-generated graphics to stir up controversy. After sharing footage of war-torn Gaza as a resort akin to the Gulf state with a golden statue of himself, he received criticism.