Trump’s shot at portraying himself as a savior backfires in the most glorious way possible
"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled."
President Donald Trump found himself in a whirlwind of controversy this week after a rather striking image he posted on Truth Social was quickly deleted amidst a wave of backlash. The picture, which surfaced late on April 12, depicted the President seemingly healing a sick man with a glowing hand. After 11 a.m. on April 13, the post had vanished, pulled from his account after drawing criticism from politicians, pundits, and a significant number of Catholics.
This wasn’t just any image; it was a deeply symbolic, AI-generated portrayal of Trump resembling Jesus. According to Mediaite, in the picture, Trump was seen draped in a robe, his hand illuminated as if by a divine light, extended towards a man in a hospital bed. A nurse observed, while an American Eagle soared majestically above.
The backdrop was equally loaded with imagery: a praying woman, a man in what appeared to be an ICE uniform, the American flag, the Statue of Liberty, fighter jets, and even what looked like soldiers who had become angels. Another American soldier watched as Trump performed his apparent miracle.
The reaction was swift and largely negative, even from some of Trump’s most ardent supporters
Joey Jones, a known media personality, didn’t mince words on X, calling the picture “looney tunes.” He added, “I don’t clutch pearls or feign outrage I think all politicians are narcissistic by nature. But cmon amigo, no unforced errors would be great!”
Conservative media figures like Michael Knowles from The Daily Wire and Riley Gaines from Outkick also weighed in. Knowles urged Trump to remove the post, stating it was in his “best interests both spiritually and politically” to do so. Others labeled it blasphemous and “unacceptable.”
Trump, however, offered a different take on the image. At an impromptu press conference outside the Oval Office, he defended his decision to post it, insisting it showed him as a “doctor.” According to CBS News, he said, “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor. And it had to do with Red Cross. There’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support. And only the fake news could come up with that one.”
He continued, “So I — I just heard about it. And I said, ‘How did they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better.” When asked why he ultimately took the picture down, Trump said, “Normally I don’t like doing that, but I didn’t want to have anybody be confused. People were confused.”
This controversial post didn’t appear in a vacuum
It actually came about 40 minutes after Trump had launched a blistering social media rant against Pope Leo XIV. He had taken issue with the pontiff’s recent criticism of the Iran war, calling Pope Leo’s thoughts on foreign policy “terrible” and asserting that the Pope was “WEAK” on both crime and nuclear weapons.
Trump also claimed credit for the Chicago-born Pope Leo becoming the first American pontiff last year. Following his online tirade, Trump told reporters in front of Air Force One that he was “not a big fan” of the Pope, describing him as “a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”
Pope Leo XIV, for his part, responded calmly on Monday morning, stating he was unfazed by President Trump’s criticism. The pontiff affirmed, “I have no fear of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. That’s what I believe in. I am called to do what the church is called to do.”
He further elaborated, “I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel. Of inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges for peace and reconciliation, of looking for ways to avoid war anytime that’s possible.”
The timing of Trump’s post also raised eyebrows, as it landed on Orthodox Easter, exactly one week after other Christians around the world had celebrated Easter Sunday, commemorating Jesus’ resurrection.
This led to an additional wave of criticism
Conservative activist Riley Gaines, a vocal supporter of the administration on transgender athletes in women’s sports, asked, “Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.”
GOP Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, while a critic of some of Trump’s policies, observed, “I know he’s trying to be funny, but it was a foolish post. I saw a lot of Republicans commenting in it last night. Some saying he’s just trolling, and others saying it’s anti-Christian. When you divide your own party it is self destructive. To me it was a gaudy and juvenile post.”
Even Marjorie Taylor Greene said on X, “On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus. This comes after last week’s post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”
Conservative podcaster Erick Erickson pointed out, “What they really should be paying attention to are the Christian Trump supporters who have stood with him through Iran, who are waking up to his blasphemy.” Despite the widespread criticism, Trump maintained he didn’t listen to certain critics, telling a senior correspondent in a phone interview, “I didn’t listen to Riley Gaines. I’m not a big fan of Riley, actually.”
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