Trump Posts (Then Deletes) Image of Himself as Jesus Christ, Picks Fight with The Pope

In a surreal and controversial turn of events, President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Pope Leo XV, accusing him of being weak on crime and foreign policy, before posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ healing a sick man. The post, which was quickly deleted, sparked outrage for its blasphemous implications and political overreach, portraying the Pope as a political adversary rather than a spiritual leader. The hosts of The Bulwark, JVL and Will Salatan, dissect the incident with a mix of disbelief and alarm, highlighting the absurdity of Trump’s claim that he influenced the Pope’s election and his apparent inability to grasp the moral authority of the papacy. They contrast this with historical examples, such as Pope John Paul II’s opposition to the Iraq War, underscoring how Trump’s narcissism reduces sacred institutions to political pawns. The episode also examines the viral AI image, dissecting its technical flaws and symbolic overreach, while noting the irony that Iran—often criticized for religious authoritarianism—was more vocal in defending the Pope’s honor than American religious leaders.