President Donald Trump is being called out by Catholic officials after posting an AI-generated image of him as Pope within weeks of the passing of 88-year-old Pope Francis.
On Friday (May 2), President Donald Trump posted an AI (artificial intelligence) -generated image that depicted him as pope. The photo showed Trump’s face wearing normal garb with a large gold cross necklace. The photo riled up the internet and Catholics worldwide.
On Saturday (May 3), the New York State Catholic Conference spoke out on X and said:
“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.”
RELATED: Pope Francis Suffers Second Acute Respiratory Crisis
Catholic VP JD Vance Laughs Off Criticism After Donald Trump Posts AI Photo As Pope Following Pope Francis’ Death
Addressing criticial social users about the image of Donald Trump as pope, Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, replied:
“As a general rule, I’m fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen.”
JD Vance was also one of the last people to be seen with the Pope. He had met with the spiritual leader for a brief moment on Easter Sunday.
RELATED: Pope Francis Dies At 88 After Respiratory Illness
Pope Francis’ Recent Health Struggles Before Stroke And Heart Failure-Induced Death
As mentioned, the AI-generated photo of Donald Trump as pope arrives weeks after Pope Francis’ passing. In February 2025, we first shared that Pope Francis had suffered a “respiratory crisis.” On February 22, the Vatican revealed the news about the 88-year-old, who had already suffered from chronic damage to his lungs as a young man and had part of a lung removed.
The Vatican later updated that Pope Francis was “not in danger of death,” but also not completely “out of danger.” Two weeks after being hospitalized in critical condition, the pope shared his first message. On the morning of February 23, the spiritual leader of nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide took to X to share it. He wrote:
“I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children. Thank you for your closeness, and for the consoling prayers I have received from all over the world!”
A week after his address, Pope Francis suffered a second acute respiratory crisis. About 7 weeks later, on April 21, Pope Francis died. According to an official death certificate shared by the Vatican, the 88-year-old pope died due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure.
RELATED: Pope Francis Reportedly Passed Away Due To Stroke And Heart Failure
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