Trump Deletes Post Depicting Him as Jesus-Like Figure Amid Backlash
US President Donald Trump appears to have removed a divisive Truth Social post that portrayed him as a Jesus-like figure, following intense criticism from across the political spectrum. The AI-generated image showed Trump appearing to heal a sick man in a hospital bed, sparking swift backlash from both his detractors and even some loyal supporters. The post was posted just hours after Trump issued a lengthy critique of Pope Leo XIV, a prominent critic of US and Israeli military actions in Iran.
“This should be deleted immediately,” wrote Sean Feucht, a Christian activist involved in organizing faith-based events for the US Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary. “There’s no context where this is acceptable,” he added.
When questioned about the visual, Trump stated he believed the picture portrayed him as a medical professional. “It’s supposed to be as a doctor making people better,” he said. “And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.” The image depicted Trump in a white robe with a glowing hand on a sick man’s forehead, mirroring religious depictions of Jesus healing the infirm. The background included the Statue of Liberty, a fluttering US flag, fighter jets, an eagle, a nurse, a woman praying, and what seemed to be a soldier in uniform.
“God shall not be mocked,” remarked Riley Gaines, a notable conservative activist.
David Brody, a journalist at Christian Broadcasting Network, criticized the image as crossing a line. “This goes too far. It crosses the line,” he wrote. “A supporter can back the mission and reject this.” The controversy arose less than an hour after Trump posted a separate critique of the pope, labeling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, has consistently condemned the Iran war, calling it “absurd and inhuman violence.” The pontiff stated on Monday that he had “no fear” of the Trump administration, asserting his commitment to “speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”
Despite the backlash, Trump did not issue an apology during a White House press briefing. “Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” he argued. “He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result.” This is not the first time Trump’s Truth Social account has faced scrutiny. In February, a clip portraying Barack and Michelle Obama as apes was posted and later removed. The White House initially defended the video as an “internet meme” and urged critics to “stop the fake outrage.” However, after significant backlash, including from several Republican senators, the post was deleted, with a White House official noting a staffer had “erroneously” uploaded it.
