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Trump, 79, Posts Himself as Christ After Bonkers Pope Attack
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President Donald Trump followed a bizarre rant against Pope Leo XIV with an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. The image, posted to Truth Social late Sunday night, depicts Trump as Christ, laying his hand on a patient in a hospital bed, seemingly healing him. He is surrounded by other figures, including a nurse, a soldier, and a praying woman. Also present in the image is the U.S. flag, several bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and the Lincoln Memorial. The 79-year-old posted the image less than an hour after his attack on the pope, who he condemned as “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.” He also claimed credit for Leo’s success, arguing that he was selected because the Catholic Church believed an American pope would be well-positioned to deal with Trump. “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!” Trump wrote in his rant. The president doubled down on his critiques later that evening, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that he didn’t think the pope was doing a very good job. “We don’t like a pope who’s going to say it’s ok to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, referring to the pope’s repeated appeals for peace to prevail in the Middle East. “We don’t want a pope that says crime is ok in our cities. I am not a fan of Pope Leo,” he continued, adding, “He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime.” The reception to the president’s Sunday night posts was frosty, with several prominent MAGA figures condemning Trump’s decision to compare himself to the son of God. “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,” former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X. “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!!!” In a post on her personal account, Greene, who has previously identified as a “proud Christian nationalist,” added, “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.” Right-wing influencer Milo Yiannopoulos also criticized the image, writing on X, “Oh hell no. We tolerated this kind of meme against our better judgment because he promised to save America and only when it was clear he didn’t actually think he was the Messiah.” “Why do I feel like Paula White did this to him, and to us?” he added, referring to the televangelist who serves as Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office. “Pray for his soul. Pray for us all,” he added. The president’s bizarre posts came just hours after 60 Minutes broadcast an interview with three American cardinals who criticized several Trump administration policies, including his war in Iran and his immigration policies. Pope Leo himself has routinely criticized warmongering and called for justice and peace to prevail in countries targeted by Trump, including Venezuela and Iran, telling worshippers in Rome that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” “Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!” the Chicago-born pontiff said during his Palm Sunday address last month. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.