The White House recently posted an AI-generated image of former President Donald Trump dressed as the Pope, days before Catholic cardinals were set to begin a conclave to elect the next Pope. The image, which first appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account, showed Trump in papal attire and sparked widespread controversy on social media.
The post came after Trump attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, where he also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During a press conference outside the White House, Trump joked that he’d “like to be pope,” stating it would be his “number one choice.” He later clarified that he had “no preference” over who would be selected as the next Pope.
The AI-generated image drew strong reactions, with some defending it as a joke and others denouncing it as disrespectful. The New York State Catholic Conference condemned the post, saying, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”
Critics, including former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, argued that the image “affirms how unserious and incapable [Trump] is.” Conservative commentator Bill Kristol questioned Vice President JD Vance about the post, asking if he was “fine with this disrespect and mocking of the Holy Father?” Vance responded by criticizing Kristol’s past support for the Iraq War.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s actions, stating that he had flown to Italy to pay his respects to Pope Francis and had been a strong supporter of Catholics and religious liberty. This incident is not the first time the White House has shared a controversial AI-generated image of Trump; in February, an image depicting him as a king was posted after the administration moved to eliminate New York City’s congestion pricing program.
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate about the use of AI-generated images in political discourse and the boundaries between humor and disrespect, particularly when it comes to religious figures and institutions.
