Pope Donald Trump?
An artificial intelligence-generated photograph of the president was posted on his Truth Social page Friday night, appearing days before cardinals head to their conclave in Rome to select a successor to Pope Francis, who died on April 21, one day after Easter.
The photograph, appearing just shy of a week after the Pope’s funeral — which Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended — was posted without further explanation but sparked backlash, praise, and jokes on social media.
It shows him in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, and wearing a large crucifix. The New York State Catholic Conference, representing the state’s bishops, condemned the post, reports MSNBC.
“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. 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,” the conference posted on X.
Days after returning from the Pope’s funeral, Trump joked to reporters outside the White House that his becoming the pope would be his “number one choice” when asked whom he preferred to be picked, but followed up by saying he has “no preference” over who is ultimately selected.
“I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who’s very good,” Trump said of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York since 2009.
Pope Francis died from complications related to a stroke and heart failure. Earlier this year, he had been hospitalized in critical condition for several weeks.
Media reports in Italy and Spain criticized the post, calling it offensive as the period of official mourning for Pope Francis is continuing.
But the reaction has also been mixed, Newsweek reported Saturday.
“Pope Trump… Lol our President just posted this,” comedian Terrance K. Williams posted on X Friday. “He’s trolling because he knows the media is going to flip out. Love it Actually I love the sound of King Trump, the first of his name.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, while talking about the next pope, said, “You don’t have to be a priest. People don’t know that. Any unmarried Catholic male can be pope. But I got married and I’m happily married, so I guess I’ll miss out on that one.”
That would also eliminate Trump from the running, as he has been married three times and is not a Catholic.
Vice President JD Vance also joked about Rubio being the pope, posting on X, “I think he could take on a bit more. If only there was a job opening for a devout Catholic…”
Vance, a Catholic, was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Pope Francis before his death.
Earlier this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., joked about Trump being “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! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!,” he posted on X.
But the Republicans Against Trump account on X called the president’s papal post “full-on lunacy at this point.”
The MAGA Voice account, though, praised the photo, stating that “Donald Trump would be one of the BEST Popes to ever live,” followed by an emoji of praying hands.
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