US President Donald Trump is facing sharp backlash after sharing an AI-generated image that portrays him as a Christ-like figure healing a bedridden man. The post, shared on Truth Social, shows Trump in red and white robes with eagles, fighter jets, US service members, the Statue of Liberty and the American flag in the background.

Post Fuels Outrage

The reaction online was immediate. Critics accused Trump of going too far by presenting himself in overtly religious imagery. The controversy quickly grew beyond the image itself, with many arguing that the post crossed a line by blending political messaging with sacred symbolism.

The image landed at an already tense moment. According to The South African, Trump posted it on Sunday shortly after publicly attacking Pope Leo XIV. He reportedly described the pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.

Clash with Pope Leo XIV Adds Fuel

The pope had earlier condemned US-Israeli strikes on Iran and criticised Trump’s threats against Iranian civilisation, calling them dangerous and unacceptable. That criticism appears to have set the stage for Trump’s latest outburst.

The South African notes that Trump, who identifies as a nondenominational Christian, also said he does not support a pope who seems to tolerate nuclear weapons. That added another layer to the dispute, turning a political disagreement into a wider cultural and religious flashpoint.

Critics and Parody Posts Pile On

Among the political voices condemning Trump’s conduct was Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. Kelly said he found it abhorrent that the president would attack the Successor of St Peter, adding that Trump’s behaviour reflected badly on his leadership.

Online criticism did not stop there. The article says parody AI images began circulating in response, including one that mocked Trump by depicting him in a disturbing resurrection scene tied to Jeffrey Epstein and other public figures. Another X user described Trump’s post as surreal and deeply unsettling.

For now, the backlash shows how quickly AI-generated political imagery can trigger outrage, especially when it touches religion, war and global power all at once. In Trump’s case, one post was enough to ignite all three.