Trump sparked controversy over the weekend after posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope on his social media platform, Truth Social. The digitally altered image, which portrays Trump wearing papal robes and a mitre, was captioned “Only one higher authority,” igniting a storm of reaction across religious and political communities.
The post went viral within hours, with critics, including prominent Catholic leaders, condemning it as inappropriate and blasphemous.
“The depiction of any political figure in sacred vestments for personal glorification is deeply disrespectful to the Catholic Church and to the papacy itself,” said Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York. “This image trivializes the sanctity of the Holy Father’s office and is offensive to Catholics worldwide.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released a formal statement urging public figures to “refrain from exploiting religious imagery for political messaging,” noting that such representations “blur the line between faith and partisanship in a harmful way.”
Trump has not apologized for the post, instead defending it as “a joke” and “satire,” while also accusing the media of overreacting. “People have lost their sense of humor. It’s just art,” he said in a follow-up post.
“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” the New York State Catholic Conference said in a social media post. “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.”
Italian critic Marco Belpoliti, writing in La Repubblica, said, “We must recognize [that] the American President [has a] pathological megalomania, a form of innocence that goes beyond all the rules, conventions, and the necessary grace that the office he holds would require of him.”
The Vatican has not issued a direct response to the post, but sources close to the Holy See indicated that officials were “aware and dismayed” by the image.
As the 2024 campaign season intensifies, Trump’s use of provocative digital media continues to draw both attention and controversy, raising broader questions about the role of artificial intelligence in political discourse and the boundaries of religious symbolism in public life.