Donald Trump claims he had 'nothing to do with' AI image of himself as Pope amid backlash
Trump claims he 'had nothing to do with' a depiction of himself as the Pope that was shared on his and White House social media accounts, distancing himself from the AI-generated image
Donald Trump has denied any involvement in publishing an AI image depicting him as the Pope - despite it being posted on his own social media account.
The stunt has drawn sharp criticism from Catholic leaders and members of the public as the Vatican looks to appoint a new leader following Francis's death last month. 'I had nothing to do with it,' Trump said while in the Oval Office. 'Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet. 'That's not me that did it, I have no idea where it came from - maybe it was AI. But I have no idea where it came from.'
The image, which showed Trump in white papal robes and a ceremonial headdress, went viral over the weekend, sparking outrage among Catholics mourning the recent death of Pope Francis.
The backlash intensified as critics called the post disrespectful and poorly timed, given that the Vatican is preparing for a conclave to elect a new pope. 'They can't take a joke,' Trump said when pressed on Catholic reactions, before quickly shifting blame. 'You don't mean the Catholics; you mean the fake news media. The Catholics loved it.'
While Trump is not Catholic, his wife, Melania Trump, is.
The president claimed she approved of the image. 'Actually, my wife thought it was cute,' he said. 'She said, 'Isn't that nice?''
When asked why the image had been shared on the official White House account and whether it diminished the platform's credibility, Trump gave no further explanation. 'Oh give me a break,' he said, before changing the subject.
But Catholic leaders voiced serious concern. 'It's never appropriate to ridicule or mock the papacy,' said Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state's Catholic bishops.
The group later issued a direct rebuke on social media: 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr President. 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.'
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, attempted to downplay the incident. 'I'm fine with people telling jokes,' he posted on social media, responding to a question about the image.
Online reaction to Trump's remarks remained divided.
While some users condemned the image and the president's response as insensitive, others defended it.
"Even if it was a joke, putting [it] up on the official WH account is in bad taste," one user wrote. "Especially since the Pope just passed away." Another added, "'Melania thought it was cute.' They are both disgusting and disrespectful."
Supporters, however, dismissed the criticism. 'It was a joke. Get over it,' one post read. 'God, these people will feign outrage over ANYTHING.'
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