Trump Post Depicting Himself As Jesus Draws Rebuke

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/13/2026) An AI-generated photo President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social drew rebuke from one Christian-minded gubernatorial candidate and a conservative Catholic lawmaker, who viewed the post as "blasphemy."

The post drew criticism as it appeared to depict Trump as Jesus Christ, though he dismissed the push back, saying that it was meant to depict himself as a doctor and "had to do with Red Cross." He said that only the "fake news" could create the correlation that the photo depicted him as Jesus.

"It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better," Trump said. "And I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) said he rejected the post that has since been deleted and urged prayer for the president.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Ralph Rebandt said the depiction was "blasphemous, wrong, and inappropriate to be posted by anyone." He added that as Christians, their allegiance is to Jesus Christ "first, foremost, and forever."

One of the co-chairs of the Legislative Catholic Caucus, House Appropriations Committee Chair Ann Bollin (R-Brighton) said speaking for herself personally, "I take my faith seriously and expect public commentary about the Pope to reflect respect in truth – not distortion, disrespect or viral noise. While people may disagree with church leadership, reducing these differences to memes or off-hand remarks does not foster understanding or peace.

“I work to stay grounded in my beliefs and focused on encouraging thoughtful and respectful dialogue.”

Trump traded barbs with Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff's public calls for peace and criticism of global conflict, including U.S. actions tied to Iran. Trump responded on social media, calling the Pope "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," while defending his stance against Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. He later said he would not apologize.

Pope Leo did not respond directly to Trump's remarks but reiterated that his message was rooted in the Gospel and focused on peace, not politics. The exchange underscores broader tensions between the administration's foreign policy posture and the Vatican's emphasis on restraint.