Is this blasphemy or an innocent joke? 🤔
President Donald Trump erupted social media after posting an AI-generated picture of himself as the new pope.
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The image depicts an AI-President Trump wearing a white and gold cassock and mitre.
The president published it across several platforms and accounts, including the official White House and POTUS social media accounts.
Here is President Trump’s pope post below:
Social media users across several platforms expressed their opinions on the photo. Some positive, some negative. Many users, including Catholics, found it funny. Others expressed their disgust with the post.
Here are some reactions we found to President Trump’s pope picture:
Catholic commentator Taylor Marshall considers himself both a Trump supporter and a traditional Latin Mass Catholic.
He neither expressed his support nor opposition to the post.
“Even Trump, deep down, knows the Pope is 1000x more powerful than the POTUS,” Marshall wrote. Keys of the Kingdom > executive orders.”
Catholic podcast host Gloria Purvis published her complete disgust for the post.
Purvis called it “poor taste,” “disrespectful,” and “mockery,” as the Catholic Church mourns the death of Pope Francis.
Purvis’ full post reads,
“While we, the Catholic Church, are in our 9 day period of mourning the death of Pope Francis, The White House posts this image.
Poor taste
Disrespectful
Mockery
Anti-Catholic
Classless
PerverseHe is showing us what he thinks of us and our Church. This is indefensible.”
Instagram content creator “The Simple Catholic,” also “echoed Purvis’ sentiment.“
“It’s bad timing and just disrespectful to the office of the papacy and the Catholic faith,” The Simple Catholic wrote on X.
“Imagine if a world leader of any country did this for any other previous pope or world leader who passed away,” he continued on Instagram. “It’s not about politics this just plainly crossed a line. Prayers for the unity in the Church and in the United States and for the hearts of our leaders at all levels.”
Catholic Polish commentator Wojciech Pawelczyk disagreed with Catholics calling out President Trump for his post.
“During his first term, President Trump paid homage to Pope John Paul II.”
For those who say President Trump is mocking the papacy and Catholicism… During his first term, President Trump paid homage to Pope John Paul II: ‘And when the day came on June 2nd, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope — that day, every Communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down.” – Wojciech Pawelczyk, X
Other Catholics on social media also responded to Trump’s pope picture.
“It’s just a joke relax. As a Catholic, I am not at all offended,” one person said.
“It’s such an insult. Especially at this difficult time for the Church,” someone else wrote.
“Even though I very much like President Trump, this move isn’t something I support,” another person said.
“Yeah, far more offended that Biden considered himself a great Catholic all while supporting and promoting abortion than an AI image that was posted,” someone else explained.
President Trump has historically supported the Catholic Church through many comments and posts during his first presidential term. He also showed support during his third presidential campaign.
From his post about Saint Michael the Archangel, to wishing Our Lady a happy birthday, the president often speaks highly of the Catholic Church. His wife, Melania, is also a practicing Catholic. He also attended Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, 2025.
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