The Incident

On Sunday night, following a series of Truth Social posts attacking Pope Leo XIV (the first American-born Pope) as “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy,” Trump shared the AI image. It showed him in a messianic role, surrounded by American flags, eagles, and fighter jets, with light radiating from his fingers as he “healed” a man in a hospital bed.

The “Christian Take” 

This time, the criticism didn’t just come from the left—it came from within his base.

  • Conservative Pundits: High-profile supporters like Riley Gaines and Megan Basham called the post “outrageous blasphemy,” with Gaines stating, “God shall not be mocked.

  • The “Antichrist” Label: Surprisingly, former GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene denounced the image, saying it reflected an “Antichrist spirit” and that she was “praying against it.”

  • Religious Leadership: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops defended the Pope, reminding the President that the Pontiff is a “vicar of Christ,” not a political rival.

Trump’s Defense & The “Doctor” Excuse

After the backlash became too loud to ignore, Trump deleted the post on Monday morning. When asked by reporters about it, his explanation was classic Trump:

“It wasn’t a [religious] depiction, it was me… It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

He later claimed only the “fake news” would interpret a “Red Cross worker” image as a religious one