Trump creates scandal by posting image of himself as pope

The post follows the president’s statements on the White House lawn, apparently in jest, that he could envision himself as the next pope.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A social media post by US President Donald Trump with an AI-generated image depicting himself as the new pope sparked outrage.

The image shows Donald Trump dressed as the pope, sitting on the papal throne with his finger in the air. Posted on Truth Social and the president’s X account, there was no text introducing it.

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican is in the process of choosing a new spiritual leader.

Trump’s post follows the president’s statements on the White House lawn, apparently in jest, that he could envision himself as the next pope.

When a journalist asked him who he would like to see succeed Pope Francis, Trump replied, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice.”

Trump’s post triggered angry responses, particularly from Catholics. One user referred to the image as “disgusting,” while others characterized the action as “disturbing,” “disrespectful,” and “offensive.”

Another user wrote, “I love Trump but find his meme about the Pope disrespectful and insulting. God should not be ridiculed.” Another user added, “Please remove this. Many Catholics, including myself, see it as a great disrespect towards the past and future leader of our church.”

Pope Francis died on April 21, a day after his Easter address at the Vatican. Many heads of state, including the US president, attended the funeral.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the Vatican Raphael Schutz criticized Israel’s decision not to send a delegation to Pope Francis’s funeral. Israel’s current ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Sideman, represented Israel.

In an interview with Israel’s Ynet online outlet, Schutz said, “When a leader of this importance passes away, you don’t deviate from diplomatic protocols.”

He continued, “We should discuss our disagreements with the Vatican, directly with the Vatican, not by boycotting the funeral. It was a funeral attended by the whole world, from Trump downwards. Israel’s absence creates a bad impression of us with the entire Catholic Christian world – 1.3 billion people.”