President Donald Trump has brushed off criticism over an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope, posted on his Truth Social account on May 2, 2025, and later shared by the White House on X.
The photo sparked outrage among Catholics, with the New York State Catholic Conference condemning it as “nothing clever or funny,” especially as the Vatican mourns Pope Francis and prepares for the May 7 conclave to elect his successor.
Speaking in the Oval Office on May 5, Trump called the image a joke, blaming the “fake news media” for the backlash.
“The Catholics loved it,” he claimed, adding, “I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made it up, maybe AI. My wife thought it was cute.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump, noting his attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral and support for Catholic liberties.
