U.S. President Donald Trump has come under fire for sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope. The image shows Trump in white robes, a gold crucifix, and a mitre, mimicking a blessing pose. He posted it on May 2 via his Truth Social platform, just days before the Vatican begins its conclave to choose a new pope.
Trump recently joked about becoming the pope, saying it would be his “number one choice.” He also praised Cardinal Timothy Dolan as a possible successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. The image, created using the AI tool Midjourney, was also shared by the White House, gaining millions of views and fueling debate.
While some viewers laughed at the image, calling Trump “the funniest man alive,” others were deeply offended. Critics argued that posting the image so soon after the pope’s death was in poor taste. One user called it “disgusting and entirely offensive.”
Midjourney, the tool used to create the image, has since shut down its free trial service due to misuse. The platform has been criticized before for allowing deepfake images of global figures, including Trump and Pope Francis, which further intensified the controversy.