Donald Trump posts bizarre AI picture of him as Pope, after claiming he’d 'like to be' Pontiff
3 May 2025, 09:27 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 12:52
The post on Truth Social was then posted on Twitter by the official White House page.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
President Donald Trump has shared an artificially enhanced photo of himself in papal glad rags, just over a week after Pope Francis’ death.
The conclave to select a new pontiff is now underway, after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
When quizzed about the conclave on his 100th day as President, Trump joked with reporters that he was his own top pick to be the next Pope.
“I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice,” he said to reporters on the White House lawn.
But it seems he may not have been joking. Posted at 3:29am (BST), the bizarre picture shows Trump sat on a golden throne in traditional papal clothing.
The picture has sparked backlash and praise, but also a great deal of bemusement.
Read More: What happens now? How the Papal conclave elects a new Pope
The papacy has become somewhat of a running joke in the Trump administration, with both JD Vance and Marco Rubio also making jokes about becoming Pope.
This is not the first time the President has made headlines by wading in on Vatican matters - Trump also raised some eyebrows at Pope Francis’ funeral in April.
As well as chewing gum during the ceremony and wearing a non-traditional blue suit, the President was also criticised for holding a meeting with Zelenskyy and taking attention away from the late Pontiff.