After stirring controversy over Trump’s AI image as Pope, which drew backlash in the US and abroad, Donald Trump claimed that he has no idea who generated the AI image of him as the Pope, but insisted that “Catholics love it. He added that critics lacked a sense of humour and noted that his wife, Melania Trump, found the image “cute.”
The image that was shared on the official accounts of both the president and the White House showed Donald Trump, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, seated in an ornate chair with his right forefinger raised.
Meanwhile, amid a briefing on Monday in the White House, a Fox News reporter challenged the president over the image, claiming that some Catholics were “unhappy” about it. “You mean they can’t take a joke?” Trump replied. “You don’t mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news. The Catholics loved it. I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet – that’s not me that did it,” Trump added, as per the Independent.
Catholic Bishops Of New York State Openly Criticised
Despite Trump’s denial, the Catholic Bishops of New York State openly criticised the AI image portraying him as the Pope. “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,” they wrote on the official X platform.
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. https://t.co/ortxbkDlT5
— NYS Catholic Conference (@NYSCatholicConf) May 3, 2025
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, whom Trump had praised as a strong candidate for the papacy, also disapproved, calling the image “not good” and expressing hope that Trump had no role in it.
Back at the White House, Trump maintained he had no connection to the image. “I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it was AI,” he said. “But I know nothing about it. I just saw it last evening. Actually, my wife thought it was cute. ‘Ha ha’ she said, ‘Isn’t that nice’.”
“I would not be able to be married though … to the best of my knowledge popes aren’t big on getting married are they? Not that we know of no. I think it’s the fake news media, they’re fakers,” Trump said.
When questioned about the “meme” being posted from the official White House account and whether it undermined the account’s credibility, Trump brushed it off, saying, “Oh give me a break,” before changing the subject.
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