Trump's AI image of himself as pope draws criticism ahead of conclave
White House releases AI generated Pope Trump picture
An AI generated picture of President Trump dressed as a pope is circulating across social media. President Trump pushing the picture out via Truth Social, before the White House published the photo on X. This comes just before a conclave takes place next Wednesday as the Catholic Church prepares to vote on a new leader.
President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the pope just days before the conclave begins to elect a successor to Pope Francis, drawing strong rebukes among some Catholics who accused the president of mockery.
The image, shared Friday night on Trump's Truth Social site and later reposted by the White House on its official X account, features Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat.
The image raised eyebrows on social media and at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning following Francis' death on April 21. Catholic cardinals have been celebrating daily Masses in his memory and are due to open the conclave to elect his successor on Wednesday.
Critics accuse Trump of mockery
Dig deeper:
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.
RELATED: Date set for conclave to elect next pope, Vatican says: What to know
The backstory:
The latest Trump episode – and backlash – come 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.
What they're saying:
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.
Who will be the next Pope?
We are just days away from the start of a conclave that will decide who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church. It will be the first in 20 years to take place after a pontiff's death. Joining LiveNOW's Josh Breslow to help explain the process is James Naus, a professor of history at Oakland University. The conclave begins on Wednesday.
"There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President," they wrote. "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."
Italy’s left-leaning La Repubblica also featured the image on its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of "pathological megalomania."
RELATED: Report: Army drafts plan for parade with 6,600 troops on Trump’s birthday
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the backlash to the image or why the president had shared the image.
The other side:
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on April 25, 2025 in Washington, DC to attend the funeral of Pope Francis (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Trump supports archbishop of New York for next pope
What's next:
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 of a place called New York who's very good. So we'll see what happens," he said.
Dolan, 75, is one of 10 U.S. 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."
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press.