U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited criticism from Catholic leaders and religious groups after posting what appears to be an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope on social media, just days before the Vatican's conclave to elect a new pontiff. The digitally altered image - which shows Trump in a white cassock, gold cross, and papal mitre - was first shared Friday night on Truth Social and later reposted by the official White House X account.
The backlash comes amid a period of mourning following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away late last month at age 88. Trump traveled to the Vatican to attend the funeral and has since stirred controversy with offhand remarks about the papacy and his social media activity.
"There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President," the New York State Catholic Conference posted on X. "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."
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, told reporters in Rome that he hoped Trump "didn't have anything to do with" the image. Asked if it offended him, he replied, "It wasn't good." Father Gerald Murray of the Archdiocese of New York described the post as "silly ... you don't do that."
Donald Trump just posted a photo of himself as the Pope.
It's full-on lunacy at this point. pic.twitter.com/7be1cIgUwK — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 3, 2025
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, said in a Facebook post, "Trump mocks God, the Catholic Church, and the Papacy." He added that the image was "deeply offensive" and called for an apology from the president.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines posted on Facebook, "Not funny, Sir," while Italy's former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi labeled the image "offensive to believers" and accused Trump of "clowning around."
La Repubblica, a leading Italian newspaper, described the post as "infantile" and accused the president of "pathological megalomania." CNN interviews with American tourists in St. Peter's Square revealed reactions ranging from "absurd" to "typical."
Asked for comment, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty."
Vice President JD Vance dismissed the outrage on social media, stating, "As a general rule, I'm fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen."
This incident follows previous controversies involving Trump's use of AI-generated imagery. In a prior case, he faced criticism after posting a digitally altered video portraying Gaza as a Gulf-style resort featuring a golden statue of himself.
Trump, who is not Catholic, further stirred discussion last week by joking with reporters, "I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice," though he added, "No, I don't know, I have no preference." He then suggested Cardinal Dolan of New York as someone who is "very good."
