Just days before the Vatican’s conclave to elect a new pope, former US President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm by sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pontiff.
Posted on May 2 via Truth Social, the image shows Trump in full papal attire—including white robes, a gold crucifix, and a mitre—raising his hand in a blessing gesture. The timing has drawn sharp criticism, as it comes less than two weeks after the passing of Pope Francis.
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Trump had earlier joked about wanting to become pope, quipping, “That would be my number one choice,” while also naming New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan as a possible successor. The image was widely circulated online, even appearing on official White House platforms, and has since gone viral.
The image was created using Midjourney, an AI tool already under scrutiny for enabling deepfakes. Following backlash over misuse, the platform recently ended its free trial due to “extraordinary demand and abuse.”
While some supporters laughed off the post with comments like “Make Vatican Great Again,” others condemned it as tasteless and disrespectful given the current religious climate.
