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US President Donald Trump has deleted an AI-generated representation of himself arsenic a Jesus-like figure, which drew widespread disapproval adjacent from some spiritual conservatives who typically support him.
The station connected Trump’s Truth Social level came amid his escalating feud with Pope Leo, who has criticised the US-Israeli war against Iran arsenic inhumane.
Shortly earlier publishing the image, the president posted a lengthy screed against Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK connected transgression and terrible for Foreign Policy”.
Leo, the archetypal US-born pope, said successful effect to Trump’s attacks that helium had “no fear” of the Trump medication and would proceed to speak out. In a forceful speech connected Monday successful Algiers, helium denounced “neo-colonial” world powers who are violating planetary law, without specifically referring to the United States.
Sunday’s post, depicting Trump successful a white robe with an seemingly healing manus connected a prone man’s head, could make a rift betwixt Trump and the spiritual right, whose support was captious to his victory successful the 2024 election.
In the painting-like image, Trump holds a glowing orb in 1 manus and uses his different manus to touch a seemingly sick antheral connected the forehead. The Statue of Liberty, fireworks, a combatant jet and eagles could beryllium seen successful the background.
The station was removed connected Monday morning. The White House did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.
Riley Gaines, a erstwhile collegiate swimmer and outspoken professional of transgender athletes successful women’s sports who has appeared with Trump astatine rallies, wrote connected X she could not understand why Trump posted the image.
Photo: Truth Social“Does helium really think this?” she wrote.
“Either way, two things are true. 1) a small humility would service him well 2) God shall not beryllium mocked.”
After Trump narrowly survived an assassination effort successful July 2024, some evangelical supporters said it was grounds helium had been blessed by God.
In 2025, aft the decease of Pope Francis, Trump posted an representation showing himself arsenic pope, prompting outrage from galore Catholics.
In caller weeks, Leo has go one of the astir salient critics of the war successful Iran, adjacent making an unusual nonstop entreaty to Trump and urging him to find an “off-ramp”.
Trump besides feuded astatine times with Leo’s predecessor, Francis, who publically opposed Trump’s deportation run arsenic un-Christian.
At slightest 8 members of Trump’s furniture are Catholic, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Meanwhile, Italian governmental and religion figures person rallied down Leo after Trump criticised the pontiff, leaving Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to equilibrium Italy’s adjacent ties to the Vatican and her ain confederation with the US leader.
“I find President Trump’s words towards the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is close and mean for him to telephone for bid and to condemn each signifier of war,” she said.
Meloni was the lone European person to be Trump’s inauguration successful 2025 and she had hoped their relationship would boost her standing astatine location and abroad.
However, Trump risks becoming a liability, with 66 per cent of Italians having a antagonistic view of the US leader.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who has besides successful the past associated himself intimately with Trump, besides distanced himself from the Trump connected Monday.
“Pope Leo is simply a spiritual person for billions of Catholics, but beyond that, if there is 1 idiosyncratic striving for peace, it is Pope Leo, and so attacking him does not look either wise oregon helpful,” helium said successful a statement.
Source: AAP
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