President Donald Trump stirred social media late Sunday by uploading a digital image portraying himself as Jesus Christ healing a bedridden patient. The post, which appeared on the President’s account without a caption, shows Trump wearing white and red robes while placing a hand on the head of a sick man. While the image’s origin remains unconfirmed, it bears the hallmarks of AI-generated content.
This visual statement followed a series of digital attacks Trump leveled against Pope Leo XIV. The President criticized the pontiff’s leadership as “weak,” specifically targeting his handling of crime and international relations.
Trump expressed frustration over the Pope’s recent comments regarding his administration, suggesting the Catholic leader should show more gratitude for his position.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a Sunday night post. “He talks about ‘fear’ of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services.”
READ: Oil Skyrockets And Markets Shudder As U.S. Navy Shuts Down Iranian Ports
Trump further took issue with the Pope’s recent meeting with David Axelrod, a former advisor to Barack Obama, stating he did not want a Pope who openly criticizes the American President.
Speaking to reporters on Monday while en route to Algeria, Pope Leo XIV maintained a calm demeanor regarding the friction. He dismissed suggestions of retaliation or personal conflict, leaning instead on religious doctrine.
“I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone,” the Pope said. “The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers.’ I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation.”
The tension between the White House and the Holy See has been building throughout the week. On Friday, the Vatican issued a rare public rebuke following rumors of a “hostile meeting” between Trump administration officials and a church representative.
While the Vatican initially pushed back on the tone of the encounter, both parties later issued statements describing the discussion as “substantive, respectful, and professional.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
