Donald Trump deleted an image depicting himself as Jesus on his Truth Social network on Monday, sparking outrage among American religious conservatives. “It wasn’t a representation. It was me. I posted it, and I thought it was me,” the American president reacted to the AI-generated illustration published the day before. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, taking care of people. And I take care of people. I take care of them a lot,” he added while mentioning the Red Cross.
The image shows Donald Trump draped in a red and white robe with a halo of light in his hands and placing a palm on the forehead of a man lying down, surrounded by onlookers. Drawing inspiration from Christian painting conventions, the scene includes American patriotic symbols like eagles, the star-spangled banner, a soldier in uniform, a fighter jet, and the Statue of Liberty.
“It’s an antichrist spirit”
The image was published shortly after a strong message from the American president against Pope Leon XIV, who had harshly criticized the war in Iran on Saturday. The image did not sit well with several figures in the Christian right, who quickly denounced it as a “blasphemous representation.” “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an antichrist spirit,” former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene angrily expressed. “Trump attacked the pope because he rightly opposes the war led by Trump in Iran. Then he posted a photo of himself as if he were taking the place of Jesus,” she continued. “I don’t know if the president thought he was being funny, under the influence of substances, or what other explanation he could give for this outrageous blasphemy. He must remove this message immediately,” also stated writer and conservative podcaster Megan Basham, usually close to Donald Trump.
Trump has already used religious images in his posts: in May, he posted an AI-generated portrait of himself in papal attire on his platform, after stating he “would like to be pope.” According to Matthew Taylor, a researcher at Georgetown University specializing in Christian nationalism, Donald Trump embraced religious rhetoric even more fervently after his assassination attempt in July 2024. The septuagenarian president – who claims to be a Christian but does not pretend to be particularly religious – enjoyed considerable support from conservative Christians and evangelicals during his terms. “Many right-wing supporters were already opposed to the war in Iran, and a rift was forming within his Catholic base, but the denunciations from Pope Leon risk further eroding this base,” explains Matthew Taylor.
/2025/09/05/daic-template-live-68baadad16e59550656736.png "Direct negotiations: US welcomes talks between Israel and Lebanon, boycotted by Hezbollah")
