US President Donald Trump escalated his public clash with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, launching a sharp attack on the head of the Catholic Church and questioning his political judgment. Hours after the criticism, Trump posted an AI-generated image that portrayed him in a Jesus-like role performing a biblical-style miracle. The digitally created picture showed him in flowing robes placing his hand on a sick man, with light radiating from his fingers as onlookers watched in reverence. The scene echoed the biblical account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.Speaking to reporters and posting on social media, Trump said he was “not a fan” of the pontiff and claimed he was “not doing a very good job”, while also accusing him of being “very liberal” and overly sympathetic to what he called the “Radical Left”. He further argued that the Pope should focus on spiritual duties rather than political commentary, especially on issues involving the United States and foreign policy.
Surrounding imagery included American flags, military aircraft, eagles in flight and angelic figures in the sky, blending religious symbolism with patriotic motifs. The post quickly drew attention for its stark visual messaging, coming so soon after his public remarks against the Pope.This is not the first time Trump has used AI-generated religious imagery; in May 2025 he previously shared a picture of himself dressed in full papal robes after joking that he would “like to be pope”, an image that also sparked widespread attention and debate online.The exchange followed comments from Pope Leo XIV over the weekend that criticized what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” driving global conflict, including tensions involving the United States and Iran. Trump responded by calling the Pope “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”, adding that he did not want a religious leader who appeared to justify adversaries acquiring nuclear weapons. He also suggested that Leo had been chosen partly because of his American background and reiterated that the Church should not interfere in political decisions taken by an elected government.