Trump criticised after posting AI image of himself as Pope

Recently, US President Donald Trump has faced backlash from some members of the Catholic community after he posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope. In this image, Trump is depicted wearing a traditional white cassock and a pointed mitre, which is a hat typically worn by bishops. He is also shown with a large cross around his neck and a serious expression on his face. This post was shared through the official social media accounts of the White House and comes at a particularly sensitive time for Catholics, who are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. As they grieve, they are also preparing to select a new pontiff. The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents bishops in New York, has publicly criticized Trump, accusing him of mocking their faith. This incident follows a recent joke made by Trump to reporters, where he said, 'I’d like to be Pope. ' It is worth noting that Trump is not the first president to stir controversy among Catholics. Former President Joe Biden, who is also a Catholic, faced criticism last year when he made the sign of the cross at a pro-abortion access rally in Tampa, Florida. When asked about Trump’s post, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni chose not to comment during a press briefing with journalists on Saturday. The Vatican is currently preparing for a conclave, which is a meeting to elect a new Pope, starting on Wednesday. The image shared by Trump on Friday night shows him in a white cassock and mitre, looking solemn. The New York State Catholic Conference took to social media platform X to express their disapproval of the image. They stated, 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. 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. ' In addition to the criticism from the Catholic Conference, left-leaning former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also condemned Trump’s post. Renzi expressed his discontent in Italian on social media, stating, 'This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around. ' Despite the backlash, the White House defended Trump, asserting that he was not making fun of the papacy. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, 'President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects to Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty.