On Friday, the White House shared an AI-generated image portraying former President Donald Trump in papal attire, shortly after Trump humorously expressed a desire to “like to be pope.”
The image, which originated on Trump’s Truth Social platform, emerges as cardinals prepare to gather on May 7 to initiate the selection of a new pope.
Recently, Trump attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, where he also had a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
After returning from the funeral, Trump remarked to reporters outside the White House that he’d “like to be pope,” naming it as his “number one choice.” He clarified that he holds “no preference” over who will be ultimately chosen as the new pontiff.
Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, had one-on-one time with the Roman Catholic leader just a day prior to Francis’ passing.
According to a death certificate from the Vatican, Francis passed away from a stroke that led to irreversible heart failure.
The release of the AI-generated image triggered a flurry of reactions on social media, with varying opinions; some individuals criticized it while others defended it as merely humorous.
Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a vocal critic of Trump, condemned the image, stating that it “affirms how unserious and incapable [Trump] is.”
This is not the first incident of the White House unveiling an AI-generated depiction of Trump.
In February, Taylor Budowich, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, shared another AI image of Trump, this time in the guise of a king, following the administration’s decision to scrap New York City’s congestion pricing initiative.
In a post on Truth Social at that time, Trump branded himself as “the king,” announcing the end of congestion pricing with the proclamation, “Manhattan and all of New York, is saved. Long live the king.” He wrote.
