Donald Trump removed an image of himself depicted as Jesus on his Truth Social network on Monday, sparking outrage from conservative religious groups. “It wasn’t a representation. It was me. I posted it, and I thought it was me,” the American president reacted to the AI-generated illustration published the day before. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, caring for people. And I care for people a lot,” he added, referring to the Red Cross.
The image shows Donald Trump draped in a red and white robe with a halo of light in his hands, placing a palm on the forehead of a man lying down, surrounded by onlookers. Inspired by Christian painting codes, the scene includes American patriotic attributes such as eagles, the star-spangled banner, a soldier in uniform, a fighter jet, and the Statue of Liberty.
“It’s an antichrist spirit”
The image was published shortly after a harsh message from the American president against Pope Leon XIV, who had sharply criticized the war in Iran on Saturday. The image did not sit well with several figures from the Christian right, who quickly denounced it as a “blasphemous representation.” “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an antichrist spirit,” former Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed her indignation. “Trump attacked the pope because he rightly opposes the war waged by Trump in Iran. Then he posted a photo of himself as if he were taking the place of Jesus,” she continued. “I don’t know if the president thought he was being funny, if he’s under the influence of substances, or what other explanation he could give for this outrageous blasphemy. He must remove this message immediately,” also stated conservative writer and podcaster Megan Basham, usually close to Donald Trump.
Trump has previously used religious images in his postings: in May, he posted an AI-generated portrait of himself dressed as a pope on his platform, after saying he “would like to be pope.” According to Matthew Taylor, a researcher at Georgetown University specializing in Christian nationalism, Donald Trump embraced religious rhetoric even more fervently after the assassination attempt in July 2024. The septuagenarian president – who claims to be Christian but does not claim to be particularly devout – has enjoyed considerable support from conservative Christians and evangelicals during his terms. “Many right-wing supporters were already opposed to the war in Iran, and a rift was forming within his Catholic base, but the denunciations by Pope Leon are likely to further erode this base,” explained Matthew Taylor, referring to both the Pope’s criticisms and the publication of this image deemed blasphemous.
