Less than an hour after posting a long social media message criticizing Pope Leo XIV Sunday evening, President Donald Trump shared a now-deleted AI image depicting the president in luminescent red and white robes healing a sick man, with the United States flag and the Statue of Liberty in the background.
People across the political spectrum quickly interpreted the photo as Trump portraying himself as Jesus Christ.
This both continues — and escalates — a history of the president and his White House sharing fanciful images of Trump role-playing other powerful characters, including:
- Trump as a boxer (November 2019)
- Trump as a king (February 2025)
- Trump as the pope (May 2025)
- Trump as a Jedi hero (May 2025)
- Trump walking into a colosseum (June 2025)
- Trump as an “Apocalypse Now” colonel (September 2025)
- Trump as a king again, this time flying an F-16 (October 2025)
But this recent post has caused an online firestorm unlike anything before across the political spectrum.
When asked about the controversial image on Monday, the president denied knowingly trying to promote himself as a savior figure, saying, “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support.… It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better.”
In a CBS interview later on Monday, Trump reiterated his mindset: “I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor in fixing — you had the Red Cross right there, you had, you know, medical people surrounding me. And I was like the doctor, you know, as a little fun playing the doctor and making people better.”
When asked why he took the image down, the president said: “Normally I don’t like doing that, but I didn’t want to have anybody be confused. People were confused.”
Here are 10 notable reactions to the president’s post from across the spectrum of thought.
1. David Brody: This crosses a line
“You’ve been credited with doing tons right since that ride down the golden escalator in 2015,” wrote David Brody, chief political analyst for the Christian Broadcasting Network, speaking appreciatively of the president for “defending Judeo-Christian values and taking hits for it.”
“That’s great. But this isn’t just some meme we laugh off and scroll past. It deserves a response,” he continued.
“You’re not God. None of us are. This goes too far. It crosses the line.”
2. Vice President JD Vance: ‘It was a joke’
“I think the president was posting a joke, and of course, he took it down because he recognized a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor,” Vice President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier.
“The president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media,” Vance continued. “And I actually think that’s one of the good things about this president … he’s not filtered. He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional. He actually reaches out directly to the people.”
3. Cam Higby: More than just trolling
“Blasphemy from the Oval Office is not a funny troll,” wrote conservative political commentator Cam Higby.
“I support Trump, and I spend 8 hours a day defending him,” he said separately, but then he stated: “I will not defend blasphemy. Just correct it and move on. You don’t have to defend it.”
“You don’t have to stop supporting him because you call it out,” he added. “God > politics.”
4. Allie Beth Stuckey: President didn’t realize what he was doing
Conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey said she found Trump’s explanation plausible and believable: “I do believe that he didn’t think of this as a depiction of Jesus when posting. Still, there has to be more care and discernment here.”
In response to people angry at her for defending him, Stuckey added a lengthy post demonstrating her past willingness to push back on the president.
Then she added: “Yeah, I do think Trump is Trump and almost 80 and thus it’s quite possible he quickly posted a meme someone sent him without seeing its clear (to us) his Jesus imagery.
“That doesn’t make it right. But his excuse is plausible. (I) won’t apologize for that.”
5. Michael Knowles: Good for the president in taking it down
Catholic commentator Michael Knowles praised Trump for taking the image down. “It was right and responsible that the President deleted the post. I’m impressed he took responsibility for it … good on him for taking it down and moving on.”
6. Rev. Paul D. Erickson: Demonstrating unhealthy church and state interaction
Rev. Paul D. Erickson, bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, wrote Axios that the image is “another example of how the current administration is embracing Christian Nationalism.”
This posture, he argued, “seeks to create an unholy and unhealthy alliance between political leadership and divine providence” and “confuses the kingdom of God with a particular government.”
7. Sen. John Curtis: Let’s continue a healthy and respectful church-state relationship
“I found it offensive. It’s not appropriate,” Utah Sen. John Curtis said on Monday, calling the image “blasphemous.”
“We have a really healthy relationship in the United States between religion and government, and there should be respect. It was not respectful.”
8. Riley Gaines: ‘God shall not be mocked’
“A little humility would serve him well,” conservative commentator Riley Gaines wrote. “God shall not be mocked,” she added, channeling Paul’s teaching to the Galatians.
When the president later denied taking the post down due to concern from Riley Gaines or others, Trump added, “I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines. I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually.”
Gaines then shared online, “I love the President and I’m so grateful he’s in the Oval Office. Of course, I’ll continue to support him and the America First agenda.
“At the end of the day, I do nothing for the approval of man,” she continued. “Our purpose on this earth is to glorify Him in all we do.”
Expressing gratitude that the post was deleted, Gaines added, “We’re imperfect people. I know I am.”
“I want to spend eternity in a real place called Heaven. I’d love for Trump to be there too.”
9. Laura Loomer: People need to chill out
Activist Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of the president, largely dismissed the controversy, stating, “People crashing out over a meme need to chill out.”
She continued, “We don’t have ‘blasphemy’ laws here in the US. If you want to be outraged over blasphemy, I suggest you move to a Muslim country.”
10. David Mastio: America needs the real Jesus
Referencing the seven deadly sins,” columnist David Mastio wrote in the Kansas City Star, “Trump has them all. Pride … Greed … Lust … Envy … Gluttony … Wrath … Sloth.”
Yet, the former George W. Bush speechwriter said, “Jesus would forgive Trump for all of this and more, if he’d just repent.”
“More than anything, Trump and America need the real Jesus.”