Donald Trump stirrs controversy after posting image of himself as the pope
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The White House on Saturday posted an AI-generated image of US President Donald Trump shows as the leader of the Catholic Church.
Trup had jokingly said a few days earlier that he would "like to be pope", and originally posted the image on his own social media network, Truth Social. This was later shared by the White House.
The image was posted by the US president just a few days before the conclave to elect a new pontiff is set to begin on 7 May following Pope Francis' death on Easter Sunday.
Trump most recently visted the Vatican last Saturday, in what was his first foreign trip during his second term, in order to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Shortly before the funeral began, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss further steps in negotiating an end to the war with Russia.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025
AP/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office
Trump's pick for pope
When speaking to reporters last Tuesday, Trump joked that he himself would be his "number one choice", before adding "I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good."
Trump was likely referring to New York Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, who is however not on the shortlist of cardinals with the possibility to be elected as the next pontiff.
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