A portrait of Donald Trump in the guise of the Pope. Photo: Truth Social / Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has found himself at the centre of an international scandal after posting an artificially intelligent image of himself dressed as the Pope on social media,The Guardian reports .
An image posted on Friday on the Truth Social platform and the official White House Twitter account shows Trump in a white cassock, wearing a mitre, a large gold cross and a solemn finger gesture to the sky.
This “joke” became public at a time when the Vatican is in a period of nine days of mourning after the death of Pope Francis, and cardinals from around the world have gathered in Rome for a conclave to elect a new pontiff.
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi sharply criticised this act:
“This image offends believers and humiliates institutions,” he wrote on X.
And the New York State Catholic Conference accused Trump of deliberately mocking church tradition. Representatives of the clergy stressed that such actions harm interfaith dialogue and are a manifestation of disrespect for sacred symbols.
Amid the political campaign and the race for the White House in 2024, Trump has repeatedly joked that “he would be interested in becoming pope”, which has now gained particular resonance.
