On Friday, May 4, White House social media posted an AI-generated photo of Donald Trump dressed in papal clothing on X. The image was first posted on the president’s Truth Social account, causing uproar from Catholics across America.
The post came on the heels of Pope Francis’s recent passing, and the following selection of a new pope through a conclave, which prompted many satirical and comedic videos. It appears that Trump has joined in—only to receive a mixed response.
Since the post was made, many public officials have made statements on the issue, including the former Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, who stated on X: “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown.”
Other reactions came from The New York State Catholic Conference, which stated on X, “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 response to the negative reactions, Trump has made it clear he intended the post to be a joke. “You mean they can’t take a joke?” the President said on Monday, answering a question about the Catholic backlash. “You don’t mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media … the Catholics loved it.”
The President also pleaded ignorance, saying, “I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it was AI. But I know nothing about it.”
United States Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic who had met with the Pope just before his death, also defended the post. On Saturday, he stated on X that he was “fine with people telling jokes.”
The controversy this AI-generated photo has sparked is only the latest in a series of contentious photos posted by the Trump Administration. Previous posts included an AI video depicting a Trump resort in Gaza or, most recently, an AI-generated photo of a muscular Trump wearing a Jedi robe for May 4, which was Star Wars Day. In the Star Wars post, many were quick to note the irony in Trump wielding a red lightsaber, which typically belongs to the antagonistic faction Siths in the Star Wars canon.
Amid the controversy, the papal conclave began on Wednesday, May 7, and the new pope has already been selected, signaled by plumes of white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel.
