Trump had jokingly said a few days earlier that he would “like to be pope”, and originally posted the image on his own social media network, Truth Social
Just days before the papal conclave is set to take place, the official White House account on X posted the AI-generated image of Donald Trump in papal attire. The White House on Saturday posted an AI-generated image of US President Donald Trump shows as the leader of the Catholic Church.
Trump had jokingly said a few days earlier that he would “like to be pope”, and originally posted the image on his own social media network, Truth Social. This was later shared by the White House. The image was posted by the US president just a few days before the conclave to elect a new pontiff is set to begin on 7 May following Pope Francis’ death on Easter Sunday.
The death of a pope and election of another is a matter of utmost solemnity for Catholics, for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth. That is all the more true in Italy, where the papacy is held in high esteem even by nonreligious Italians.
The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Saturday. Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive, given that the period of official mourning is still underway.
The post caused considerable outrage online, with the official New York State Catholic Conference account saying in a post of its own that “there is nothing clever or funny about this image.”
The organisation, which represents New York state bishops, added that the US President should not “mock us”.
When asked to respond to the criticism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty.”
Trump most recently visted the Vatican last Saturday, in what was his first foreign trip during his second term, in order to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Shortly before the funeral began, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss further steps towards ending the war with Russia, as well as a minerals pact that was later signed between the US and Ukraine.
Whilst speaking to reporters last Tuesday, Trump joked that he himself would be his “number one choice”, before adding “I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good.”
Trump was referring to New York Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, one of 10 US cardinals who will be voting in the conclave. Trump’s pitch might have cost Dolan support, however, as the reason conclaes are held in secrecy, with cardinals sequestered for the duration, in order to prevent outside secular power from influencing their choice.
Left-leaning former Premier Matteo Renzi said the image was shameful. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote on X. “Meanwhile, the U.S. economy risks recession and the dollar loses value. The sovereignists are doing damage, everywhere.”
The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to comment. In the United States, the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state in working with government, accused Trump of mockery.
Italy’s left-leaning La Repubblica also featured the image on its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of “pathological megalomania.” The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the backlash to the image or why the president had shared the image.
But Jack Posobiec, a prominent far-right influencer and Trump ally who recently participated in a Catholic prayer event in March at Trump’s Florida resort, defended the president. “I’m Catholic. We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week. It’s called a sense of humor,” he wrote on X.
The episode comes after Trump joked last week about his interest in the vacancy. “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,” the thrice married president, who is not Catholic, told reporters. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, piled on. “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!” Graham, R-S.C., wrote on X. “The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!”
Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic and was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the pope died, also joked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio becoming pope, suggesting Rubio could add it to the long list of titles he holds, including national security adviser and acting archivist.
Beyond floating himself for the job, Trump also has put in a plug for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York. “I have no preference. I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out a place called New York who’s very good. So we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Dolan, 75, is one of 10 US cardinals who will be voting in the conclave, but Trump’s pitch might have cost Dolan support. The reason conclaves are held in secrecy, with cardinals sequestered for the duration, is to prevent outside secular powers from influencing their choice, as occurred in centuries past.
There is an old saying about campaigning for the job of pope or of being promoted excessively, especially by outsiders: If you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.”
