President Donald Trump is facing pushback from his base for a bizarre post in which he depicted himself as Jesus Christ.
The president shared the image to Truth Social shortly after melting down in a lengthy rant aimed at Pope Leo XIV, lashing out at the Chicago-born pontiff for criticizing several of the president’s policies.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!” the 79-year-old wrote.
He posted the AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ less than an hour later. In the image, he appears to be healing a man in a hospital bed while surrounded by American imagery like the U.S. flag, bald eagles, and several monuments.
The image was not received well by much of the president’s base, including several prominent allies.
Former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who left Congress in January and has criticized the president for his administration’s handling of the Epstein files and his foreign policy, condemned the image in multiple posts across her two X accounts.
“I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!” she wrote on one account, noting that the president had shared the image on Orthodox Easter.
“It’s more than blasphemy,” she added on a second account. “It’s an Antichrist spirit.”
Far-right influencer Milo Yiannopoulos also criticized the post, writing, “We tolerated this kind of meme against our better judgment because he promised to save America and only when it was clear he didn’t actually think he was the Messiah.”
He went on to blame Paula White, the televangelist who serves as senior adviser to the White House Faith Office, for her influence on the president.
“Pray for his soul. Pray for us all,” he added.
Right-wing social media personality Mike Cernovich also criticized the post, writing on X, “Trumps first post was fine. The Pope has a long documented political record. The follow-up posts? Would not be tolerated for any other religion.”
Elsewhere, MAGA political commentator Riley Gaines asked: “Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response?
“Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked,” Gaines added.
MAGA podcaster Michael Knowles wrote to his 1.4 million X followers: “I assume someone has already told him, but it behooves the President both spiritually and politically to delete the picture, no matter the intent.”
Megan Basham, author and culture reporter for conservative website The Daily Wire, wrote: “I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy. But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”
Brilyn Hollyhand, a 19-year-old MAGA influencer, posted on X while sharing the image of Trump: “This is gross blasphemy. Faith is not a prop. You don’t need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself. The same God who saved Trump’s life from that bullet sent His son Jesus to die for our sins. He died for Trump just as much as for you and I.”
Other MAGA figures voiced their dismay at the president. The CEO and founder of Catholic prayer app Hallow, Alex Jones, posted on X: “Our Lady, our Mother, pray for our country.”
Conservative pundit Carmine Sabia wrote: “I support Trump on most things but I will forever support my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ before any man or woman. What Trump did is reprehensible. I cannot imagine the narcissism it takes to post that.”
Several of the president’s Truth Social followers also criticized the post, with one replying that the post wasn’t “a good look” while another called for him to take it down.
“Give all honor, glory and praise to Jesus, but certainly NOT this,” the user added, before suggesting that if a staffer were responsible for the post, they should be fired.
The image appears to be similar to a Feb. 4 post from Australian-American commentator Nick Adams on Instagram, which appeared with the caption, “America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation.”
Adams is the author of the book From Mar-a-Lago to MARS: President Trump’s Great American Comeback. Adams’ Instagram bio describes him as “President Trump’s Favorite Author”.
The image used by Trump was one of several AI-generated religiously themed images of the president posted by Adams, including another of Trump as Jesus, and one of him as a preacher handing out Bibles. Adams also posted AI-generated images of Trump as an Olympic gold medalist and President George Washington.
Where the original image had soldiers appearing in the heavens alongside bald eagles, the version posted by the president has been altered to make the figures appear less human.
After lashing out at the pope and comparing himself to Jesus, Trump doubled down, telling reporters late Sunday night that he was “not a fan of Pope Leo,” adding that he’s “a very liberal person” who “doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”
The posts came after three American cardinals appeared on Sunday night’s edition of 60 Minutes and criticized several of the president’s policies, including his foreign policy and his hardline immigration crackdown.
“I think that it’s very clear the American people are saying, ‘We really didn’t vote for this‚’” Cardinal Cupich of Chicago said of the response to Trump’s immigration policies, which Pope Leo himself has described as “extremely disrespectful.”
In a statement published late Sunday evening, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said of Trump’s attack on the pope that he was “disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father.”
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician,” he added. “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
