Trump posts image of himself as pope on Truth Social. Critics erupt

In his latest jaw-dropping stunt President Donald Trump on Friday night posted an apparently AI generated image of himself as a Catholic pope just 11 days after the actual pontiff died (Trump even attended Pope Francis’ funeral).

In his pope dress-up, the image of Trump is sitting in a papal throne, all in white with his right hand raised as if about to give someone a blessing. A large crucifix hangs at his neck.

The image was posted on both his Truth Social Donald J. Trump account and his “Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social” on X.

There is no comment, just his name.

No big surprise. When Trump was asked at the White House Wednesday who he would like to succeed Pope Francis, he quipped: “I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice.”

But when critics saw him decked out like Francis, they blew up.

“Please take this down,” pleaded one. “Many Catholics, myself included, find this as a great disrespect to the past and future leader of our church.”

Another, angrier, responded: “Trump, as someone outside the U.S., I find your post utterly disrespectful to the Catholic community worldwide. The papacy is a sacred institution for millions, and this mockery is an affront to their beliefs.”

“Completely disrespectful. The Catholic community is mourning and you post this?”

“Trump Tracker” wrote: “Is anyone else surprised that Trump would be so brazenly sacrilegious? Me either. Classless.”

“Psycho,” “blasphemous,” “disgusting,” and “disrespectful” were a few of the other descriptors critics posted, while fans hailed him as “hilarious” and the “ultimate troll.”

Other supporters admired his ability to rile up the “left,” but it wasn’t immediately clear that the very religiously devout would fit easily into the category of the left.

One critic told him: “You wanna play pope? Do pope stuff,” like help the poor.