Just days before the papal conclave is set to begin—and a new leader of the Catholic Church will be chosen—President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, late on Friday, May 2, to share an image of himself in the traditional papal clothing. The official White House social media account later reposted the image on X.
The image garnered a mixed response, with one critic saying it was “rather offensive for Catholics.”
Since the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, the Catholic community—along with the rest of the world—has been eagerly waiting to see who will succeed him. That decision will be made during the papal conclave, which is set to begin on May 7.
Read More: Pope Francis’ Legacy Is Celebrated by Mourners at His Funeral
Trump’s post of himself as the Pontiff comes just days after he teased he would choose himself to succeed Pope Francis.
“I’d like to be Pope,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on April 30, when he was asked about the next Pontiff. “That would be my number one choice.”
The quip was then bolstered by others—including Sen. Lindsay Graham, who joked on X that he was “excited” that the President is “open to the idea of being the next Pope.”
Trump went on to more seriously suggest New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, as a contender to be the next Pope. Dolan has been seen as Trump’s preferred cardinal and delivered traditional prayers at both of his inaugurations.
“I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good,” Trump said.
On May 1, Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the “Religious Liberty Commission,” and named Cardinal Dolan as one of the individuals who will serve as a member.
Read More: President Trump Pays His Respects at Pope Francis’ Funeral After ‘Private and Productive’ Meeting With Zelensky
The President attended Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, April 26, but the two notably had a complicated relationship, as the Catholic Church leader sharply disagreed with Trump’s mass deportation efforts, saying that the practice “damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families.”
Pope Francis also notably referred to Trump’s first term efforts to build a wall on the Southern border between the U.S. and Mexico as “not Christian.”
