Trump deletes ‘blasphemous’ image depicting himself as Jesus

President Donald Trump deleted an apparently AI-generated image on social media depicting himself as Jesus on Monday morning, following backlash from Christian commentators for the “blasphemous” image that drew condemnation from even some of his most loyal allies.

“I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy,” wrote Megan Basham, an evangelical Christian writer for The Daily Wire. “But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”

The image — which Trump first posted on Truth Social late Sunday and deleted sometime Monday morning — is a rendering of Trump dressed in white robes in a Christ-like pose, placing a glowing hand over a sick man lying in a hospital bed, as if healing him. The image was adorned with patriotic imagery in the background, including the American flag, the Statue of Liberty and bald eagles.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on either the criticism or deleting the post. But Trump denied any reference to Jesus, telling reporters at the White House Monday that he thought he was being depicted as a doctor in the image he shared.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross,” he said. “Only the fake news media could come up with that.” He added: “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better.”

The image was posted shortly after Trump blasted Pope Leo XIV in a 334-word message on Truth Social over his condemnation of the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, calling the pontiff “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Trump doubled down on his scathing remarks toward the Pope and told reporters that he would not apologize because “Pope Leo said things that are wrong.”

The criticism towards the president was striking, as he has long enjoyed strong support from the religious right — many of whom defended him from past controversies.