Donald Trump posted a digitally manipulated image of himself dressed as the Pope on his Truth Social platform on Friday, following a joke about his desire to become the next Catholic pontiff.
The image, seemingly created using AI, portrays Trump in papal attire, including white robes, a gold crucifix, and a miter hat, with his finger pointed upward.
This occurred after Trump jokingly told reporters that he would like to be the next Pope, just before the cardinals are set to convene to elect a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
When asked about his preferred successor for Pope Francis, Trump stated, “I’d like to be pope, that would be my number one choice.”
He mentioned a “very good” cardinal in New York, likely referring to Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is theologically conservative and opposes abortion.
The New York State Catholic Conference strongly criticized the image, calling it neither clever nor funny.
They emphasized the recent passing of Pope Francis and the upcoming conclave, urging Trump not to mock their faith.
Trump had attended Pope Francis’s funeral, marking his first foreign trip since regaining power.
Approximately 20% of Americans identify as Catholic, with about 60% voting for Trump in the November polls.
Pope Francis had been a significant moral voice on the world stage and was critical of Trump, particularly regarding his 2016 campaign promise to build a border wall with Mexico.
Francis stated, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”
Cardinals are scheduled to gather on May 7 in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope.
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