US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy after posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed in papal attire, just days after jokingly saying he’d “like to be pope”. The image, shared on his Truth Social page and reposted by the White House on X, shows Trump sitting in papal regalia, wearing a mitre and a large crucifix around his neck.
The post has drawn mixed reactions online, with some finding it humorous while others criticize it as insensitive and disrespectful to the Catholic Church and the late Pope Francis. “This is disrespectful to the Church and God himself… he’s literally the antichrist,” one user commented. Another wrote, “This is disgusting and entirely offensive”.
Trump’s desire to become pope was revealed during a media interaction where he was asked who he’d like to see succeed Pope Francis. “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,” he quipped. He later added that a cardinal from New York was “very good,” likely referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Senator Lindsey Graham weighed in on Trump’s papal aspirations, jokingly endorsing him as a “dark horse candidate” for the papacy. “The first Pope-US President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!” he posted on X .
The timing of Trump’s post has raised eyebrows, coming just days after Pope Francis’ funeral and ahead of a papal conclave to elect a new pontiff. The conclave is set to begin on May 7, where 133 cardinal-electors will convene in the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th pope.