On Sunday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself dressed as the pope, posting it to his Truth Social account and the official White House X account. The image was released during the official mourning period for Pope Francis, who died on April 21, and immediately drew sharp condemnation from Catholic organizations, Italian media, and global political figures.

The New York State Catholic Conference issued a strongly worded statement, accusing Trump of mocking the sacred papal transition. “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” the group wrote on X, attaching the image of Trump wearing papal vestments and a mitre. “We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”

Despite the widespread criticism, Trump and his allies defended the image as light-hearted satire. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina weighed in on X with a joking endorsement:
“I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!”

In contrast, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas dismissed the post as another example of political theater. “Trump wants to cosplay as the next pope,” she said. “He should try cosplaying as an actual president of the United States instead.”

Trump later brushed off the backlash, telling reporters Monday that the image had been posted as a joke on his Truth Social account and then shared across White House platforms. “I had nothing to do with it,” he said. “It was just, somebody did it in fun. It’s fine. Have to have a little fun, don’t you?” He also floated the idea of becoming pope himself before pivoting to praise Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York as a more likely candidate.

The Vatican has declined to comment on the controversy.

The incident has sparked broader conversations around the use of AI-generated images in political communication and the line between satire and disrespect. Experts warn that while such images may appear humorous to some, they risk misleading the public and trivializing sensitive events, especially when involving deeply respected global institutions.

“I think we are seeing a new phenomenon—the merging of social media and AI power, organized for political power and narrative dominance,” John Wihbey, director of the AI-Media Strategies Lab at Northeastern University, told Reuters.

As the Catholic Church prepares for Wednesday’s conclave to elect the next pope, Trump’s AI-generated post has cast an unexpected and controversial shadow over one of the most solemn rituals of the Catholic faith.