With light beaming from his palms and an American flag waving behind him, an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump healing a sick man sparked renewed outrage Sunday on Orthodox Easter. The post, which has since been removed, followed closely on the heels of a tirade denouncing Pope Leo as “weak on crime,” making this weekend particularly polarizing for the faith communities that elevated Trump to his current position.
In a brief statement at the White House on Monday, Trump claimed the image depicted him as a doctor.
“I did post it. I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, there’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support,” Trump said. “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”
Donald Trump/Truth Social
The image, which was originally posted by one of Trump’s special envoys, Nick Adams, more than two months ago, is one of several images using AI to mimic the style of religious art to portray Trump as a savior for America. It wasn’t until the president reshared an altered version of the image that a broader audience took notice. The image has disappeared from Adams’ X account.
Now, religious leaders from across several denominations, including one of his own advisers on the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission, Bishop Robert Barron, are reacting to the post, prompting the rare removal from a social media feed littered with over-the-top images and claims.
Allies and opponents band together in condemnation.
On X, Barron remained complimentary of the president’s religious work, but indicated he had gone too far in his criticisms of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Protestant leaders took an even harsher tone. Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty, decried the image in an email communication with HuffPost.
“When the president of the United States posts an image of himself in the role of Jesus Christ, he is not expressing personal faith. He is claiming that his authority is divine,” Tyler said. “That is not a religious statement. It is a political one — and it is a religious freedom problem for every American whose government is supposed to be accountable to them, not to a higher power he alone represents.”
Reverend Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, said that, unfortunately, the images Trump publishes are no longer shocking.
“This feels neither more nor less shocking than some of the other grotesque things he’s put on the internet. What’s striking about it is the callous disregard of a group he claims to care so much about, but clearly does not,” Raushenbush said. “He clearly exhibits no appreciation of the actual beliefs of Christians.”
Raushenbush said that although the latest post is in line with other images and sentiments Trump has posted over the years, this one seemed to strike a different chord, even with loyalists.
“Trump keeps claiming God is on his side, and I think this is one of those moments where some people may have the scales falling from their eyes,” he said. “For me, it is just further confirmation that this is an administration and an individual who does not care for the authentic religious beliefs and lives of the people in this country.”
Tyler agrees. “The image itself was shocking, but it’s consistent with the messages we’ve received from President Trump and his supporters over the years that undermine religious freedom for all,” she said.
The MAGA faithful downplay the outrage.
Still, some religious leaders took Sunday’s posts and others like it as part and parcel of the Trump package.
Despite some support, Trump deleted the photo sometime on Monday morning. His post critical of the Pope remains online. While he refused to apologize for the image, even its removal is an admission of a misstep, according to Raushenbush.
“He never admits his mistakes, and the fact that Trump took it down shows you that he knows it was wrong,” he said.
