US President Donald Trump has explained why he shared a now-deleted photo depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
Taking to Truth Social on Sunday evening (12 April), the AI image showed Trump in a white and red shawl with his hands glowing with divine light as he healed a sick patient in a hospital bed.
With the American flag, the Statue of Liberty and eagles in the background, the 79-year-old was surrounded by a soldier and a nurse who appeared to look on in admiration.
The POTUS took the post down on Monday morning following backlash from the Christian community.
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Former Trump ally and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said the photo was 'more than blasphemy' and that 'it's an Antichrist spirit'.
Meanwhile, Matteo Renzi, a Catholic and former prime minister of Italy, called the image 'crazy' and thought it was 'blasphemous'.
While collecting his McDonald's delivery outside the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that he thought the AI-generated pic was of him as a doctor, rather than the 'Son of God'.
"It wasn't a depiction. I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor," he said.
"And had to do with red cross as a red cross worker, which we support and only the fake news could come up with that one."
The president added: "It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better."
On why he decided to take the image down, Trump told CBS News: "Normally I don't like doing that, but I didn't want to have anybody be confused. People were confused."
It comes after Trump hit back at Pope Leo's criticism of the bombing of Iran, without naming the Republican leader directly.
"Pope Leo is weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote on Truth Social over the weekend.
"I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."
The pope said he has 'no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do'.
"I don't want to get into a debate with [Trump]," he added.
"Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed.
"And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this."
Bishop Robert Barron, who sits on the Trump administration's own Religious Liberty Commission, wrote on X: "I think the President owes the Pope an apology.
"They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life.
"In regard to the concrete application of those principles, people of good will can and do disagree.
"I would warmly recommend that serious Catholics within the Trump administration–Secretary Rubio, Vice President Vance, Ambassador Brian Burch, and others–might meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place. This is far preferable to the statements on social media."
LADbible Group has contacted the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Pope Leo
Anish Vij