Latest news with #Pope-U.S.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How Republicans in Congress Enable Trump's Tyranny
Last week, a reporter asked President Donald Trump who he thought the College of Cardinals should elect as the next pope when they gather later this week in conclave. It was a ridiculous question—presidents should not comment on such things in general, and I doubt Trump could name a single cardinal anyway. He dismissed it with what I took to be an obvious joke: that the cardinals should elect him instead. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham then took the joke too far. 'I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,' he wrote on Twitter last week. 'This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke.… Trump MMXXVIII!' The post stands out to me not for the sectarian insult it represents to millions of American Catholics, or because of the oblique reference it makes to an unconstitutional third term in 2028, but for the sheer embarrassment of it all. Graham's toadying may be more outward than most of his colleagues'. Still, it symbolizes how Republicans in Congress have reduced themselves to a body of servile functionaries, acting less like duly elected members of a coequal branch of government and more like fawning courtiers at Louis XIV's Versailles. The fundamental story of Trump's second term has been his usurpation of powers traditionally granted to the legislative branch. Congress created the networks of federal agencies and programs that help govern the country; Trump has asserted the power to shut them down at will. Congress has the constitutional power to set tariffs and other taxes; Trump has unilaterally imposed them on most of the world in ways that are not only economically ruinous but likely illegal as well. Congress entered the Trump era in an already weakened condition. I've written before on how the legislative branch has devolved into a largely theatrical enterprise. Rank-and-file lawmakers have little impact on legislation. Party leaders wield near-absolute powers over the flow and wording of bills. The constant churn of fundraising and messaging have all conspired to sap its vitality and energy. Over the last three months, we've seen something even more ominous: Republican senators and representatives acting as willing partners in the destruction of their own branch of government's power, all on Trump's behalf. The Constitution is designed for tension between the three branches of government; it cannot function if one branch proclaims its supremacy and the other two give up without a fight. Most of Congress's complicity is through sheer inaction. House and Senate Republicans largely agree with Trump's war on the federal government and welcome his campaign against the so-called 'administrative state.' To that end, they have taken no real steps to stop Trump from laying off civil servants en masse, shuttering entire agencies, and refusing to spend congressionally authorized funds. Many have cheered on DOGE, even as it effectively supplants them in the American constitutional order. This complicity also comes through the lack of oversight. Since it wields the power of the purse, Congress has the right to demand information from the executive branch on how federal funds are spent. There are no signs that House or Senate Republicans are interested in exercising that power against the Trump administration, even on highly unpopular issues like DOGE. Elon Musk, the group's troubled head, skipped a House Ways and Means Committee meeting in March where he was asked to testify. The gap is especially stark because of the GOP's unrelenting aggressiveness against the previous administration. The Washington Post's Phillip Bump noted last week that Republicans on the House Oversight Committee spent two years claiming that President Joe Biden was the corrupt beneficiary of foreign deals struck by his troubled son Hunter. Georgia Representative James Comer, the committee's chairman, alleged that the elder Biden had 'swindled' investors overseas and become 'compromised by foreign governments.' Comer and his allies found no evidence to support those claims, and their much-ballyhooed push to impeach Biden for his alleged profiteering went nowhere. If Republicans are interested in presidents potentially abusing their office for private gain, however, Trump has given them multiple avenues of inquiry. They could look into Trump's official meme coin and who profited from its precipitous rise and fall, or whether the slapdash tariffs last month led to insider trading within the White House, or the recently announced $2 billion Emirati cryptocurrency deal with the Trump family—to say nothing of sundry other opportunities for graft and corruption. In recent days, Republicans have also taken some affirmative steps to help Trump fight the other two branches. The House Judiciary Committee voted last week to approve a measure that would make it easier for the Trump administration to defy court orders. 'No court of the United States may use appropriated funds to enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c), whether issued prior to, on, or subsequent to the date of enactment of this section,' the section read. Rule 65(c) itself is not new. It requires federal courts to order litigants to post a bond of sorts when seeking injunctions and temporary restraining orders against the opposing side. The bond's purpose is to cover costs and damages if the opposing side is later found to have been wrongly enjoined or restrained by the court. Notably, this rule does not apply to the government itself: The Justice Department doesn't have to pay up when asking the courts to enjoin someone else. As a result, federal judges typically set it to $0 when the federal government is a party to litigation. This avoids the basic inequity of requiring the federal government's opponents to pay up to obtain relief while not holding the government to the same standard. That exercise of discretion avoids troubling scenarios where a litigant has to effectively pay the court to safeguard their own constitutional rights, which could create perverse incentives for the government. Rule 65(c) first drew the Trump administration's attention in March as it sought to staunch the bleeding from dozens of legal setbacks, especially against DOGE. The president issued an executive order to direct the federal government's lawyers to more aggressively seek Rule 65(c) securities when they defend the administration's policies and actions in court. 'This anti-democratic takeover is orchestrated by forum-shopping organizations that repeatedly bring meritless suits, used for fundraising and political grandstanding, without any repercussions when they fail,' the White House complained, without a hint of irony. 'Taxpayers are forced not only to cover the costs of their antics when funding and hiring decisions are enjoined, but must needlessly wait for government policies they voted for.' The House proposal is disturbing in a few ways. For one thing, it effectively punishes Americans for seeking legal redress from the government. The Trump administration framed it as a means of kneecapping liberal public-interest law organizations: Its stated goal, the White House said, was to deter 'activist organizations fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars in donations' from 'functionally inserting themselves into the executive policymaking process and therefore undermining the democratic process.' Second, the provision would apply retroactively and to ongoing litigation, not simply to future cases. This is not unconstitutional by itself: The ex post facto clause, which generally bars Congress from passing laws with retroactive effect, only applies to criminal cases and not civil ones. At the same time, it serves only to disrupt and defund litigation that has already succeeded against the government, effectively rewarding acts that have been found to likely be illegal and unconstitutional. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the provision would give tacit approval to contempt of court. Divided Argument's Samuel Bray noted last week that the legislative language isn't very well crafted: A judge could get around it by setting a bond of $1 instead of $0. At the same time, the provision contemplates a scenario where someone could violate court orders and the courts, hamstrung by Congress, would be powerless to stop it. That is a significant threat to both the rule of law and to judicial independence. The Supreme Court, to its partial credit, took steps to preserve its own authority in recent weeks. (I only give them partial credit because they created this monster in the first place.) Their order last month to immediately halt Alien Enemies Act deportations came from an unmistakable concern that the Trump administration was trying to evade judicial review. The same thing can't be said for Congress. Republican lawmakers may think that they are following their constituents' wishes by reflexively obeying Trump's whims. Allowing a president to usurp the powers of one branch and ignore the orders of another one is not in anyone's long-term interest—and especially not theirs. Graham and his colleagues can't make Trump a pope, but they are making him into a king.
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump accused of ‘mocking' Catholics after posting image of himself as pope
Donald Trump has been accused of mocking the election of a new leader of the Catholic church after posting an AI-generated picture of himself as the pope on social media. The image, shared on Friday night on Trump's Truth Social site and the White House's official X account, raised eyebrows at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning after Pope Francis's funeral on 26 April. Featuring Trump in a white cassock, a gold crucifix pendant and mitre, or bishop's hat, and with his index finger pointed towards the sky, the image was the topic of several questions during the Vatican's daily conclave briefing on Saturday. It came as cardinals from around the world gathered in Rome ahead of the conclave, the secret election process to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic church, and just days after Trump joked he would 'like to be pope'. Former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi said the image was shameful. 'This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,' Renzi wrote on X. In the US, the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the state, accused Trump of mockery. 'There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,' they wrote. '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.' Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive, given that the period of official mourning was still under way. Italy's left-leaning La Repubblica also featured the image on its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of 'pathological megalomania'. Asked to respond to the criticism, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that Trump had 'been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty'. Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, attended the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome eight days ago. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, piled on what the New York Catholic leaders had branded mockery. 'I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!' he wrote on X. 'The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke …. Trump MMXXVIII!' Jack Posobiec, a prominent far-right influencer and Trump ally who recently participated in a Catholic prayer event in March at Trump's Florida resort, also defended the president. 'I'm Catholic. We've all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week. It's called a sense of humour,' he wrote on X.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Donny, Donny, you're so slow, I made you pontiff weeks ago': Trump-pope memes take social media by storm
An AI-generated picture of President Donald Trump dressed as the pope that took social media by storm has now prompted several AI videos and memes. The image was jokingly shared on Trump's Truth Social and also on the White House's X account. In the AI image, Trump can be seen holding up his index finger as if about to preach ex cathedra. He is dressed in traditional bright white Catholic vestments with gold lining. The image surfaced after Trump said he would be happy to be the next pope. Shortly after attending Pope Francis' funeral in Rome, the president was asked about his thoughts on who should be leading the Catholic Church now. 'I'd like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice,' Trump quipped. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham later came up with a suggestion for the College of Cardinals. 'I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!' Graham wrote on X. 'The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!' Graham cheered the president even after the AI image went viral. 'Seeing is believing! A picture is worth a thousand words….,' Graham wrote. 'Glad to report there is very positive reception and strong momentum for President Trump to be the next Pope. But I will be first to admit there has been some resistance! Must keep your head down and plow forward — can't let the naysayers win the day. Next week is crucial as the papal conclave convenes…. More updates to come!' The Catholic Church is now looking for a new spiritual head. Around 135 Catholic cardinals will enter a secret conclave to choose the next pope. AI videos and memes followed the AI image, taking social media by storm. Here's a look at a few posts:
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Is Fantasizing About Becoming the Next Pope
Donald Trump, who was raised Presbyterian and does not attend church regularly, would apparently like to crown himself the next pope. Late Friday, the president posted an AI image of himself sitting on a gold throne wearing the traditional attire including a white cassock and a cross necklace. He has a serious expression and is holding up a finger. The White House shared Trump's AI portrait on social media as well. 'I'd like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,' Trump told reporters following Pope Francis' death, when asked who should replace him. Trump added that he actually had no preference, but that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who is not on the list the Vatican is considering for the next pope, is 'very good.' On Thursday, Trump named Dolan to serve on his new Religious Liberty Commission. 'We're bringing religion back to our country, and it's a big deal,' Trump said, who last year endorsed his very own version of the bible. Devotees can purchase a 'God Bless the USA Bible' with Trump's signature for $1,000. Trump considers himself non-denominational. Trump's play for the Vatican all seems to be tongue in cheek, although some MAGA faithful are taking it as a moment to suck up to Trump. 'I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope,' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) posted on X. 'This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility!' 'The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!' added Graham, who is Southern Baptist. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Trump's antics have drawn criticism. An Italian newspaper slammed Trump's AI image as an expression of his 'pathological megalomania.' Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said on X that the post, made during the period of mourning, 'affirms how unserious and incapable he is. At 78 he remains a 10yo child, emotionally scarred and broken while desperate to prove he could be somebody. His problem: he can't grow up to prove it.' Republicans Against Trump called the image a 'direct insult to Catholics around the world.' According to Reuters, Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesman, declined to comment on the image during a press briefing. Pope Francis died on Easter Monday shortly after meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance, an adult convert to Catholicism. The first Latin American pope used his Easter blessing to call for mercy for migrants. He had often made statements that appeared to be criticisms of Vance and the Trump administration. In 2016, Francis said that anyone who supports building walls is 'not Christian' during a visit to Mexico near the U.S. border. Trump stood out for wearing a blue suit to Pope Francis' funeral. This is not the first time Trump used AI to boost his image on social media. For example, last August, he posted AI images of Taylor Swift fans endorsing him, including one marked 'satire.' 'I accept!' he wrote on Truth Social. In February, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich shared an AI image of Trump as a king with Manhattan in the background. Also in February, Trump shared an AI video of Gaza transformed into 'Trump Gaza,' a glitzy place where he and Elon Musk are shown partying as money seemingly falls out of the sky. Cardinals are set to begin their election of the next pope this coming week. More from Rolling Stone Elon Musk and His DOGE Bro Have Cashed In on Americans' Retirement Savings Adidas Sambas Are up to $50 off Online as Footwear Brand Announces It May Raise Prices Soon Due to Tariffs Trump Leaves Major Cities Without Top Meteorologists Ahead of Hurricane Season Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump Posts AI-Generated Image of Himself Dressed as the Pope
President Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as the leader of the Catholic Church, coming as the Vatican's conclave to select the new pope is set to commence next week. On Friday evening, the U.S. president posted the image on his official account on Truth Social, the social-media platform run by Trump Media & Technology Group, without any comment or context. The source of the image is unclear. (See the full image below.) More from Variety R.E.M. Releases New 'Radio Free Europe' EP, With Proceeds Benefiting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Amid Trump Cuts Martin Scorsese to Honor Pope Francis With 'Aldeas - A New Story' Documentary, Featuring His Last On-Camera Interview Trump Falsely Claims '60 Minutes' Admitted to 'Crime' of Editing Harris Interview in a Way That 'Cheated and Defrauded the American People' Trump had previously joked that he would like be the next pope, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88. 'I'd like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice,' Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, April 29. He then added, more seriously, 'No, I don't know, I have no preference. I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who is very good. So we'll see what happens.' Trump was referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, whom the president on May 1 named to serve on the White House's newly created Religious Liberty Commission. At a Rose Garden event Thursday, Trump remarked about the commission, 'They say separation between church and state… I said, 'All right, let's forget about that for one time.'' Following Trump's tongue-in-cheek comment about wanting to be pope, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) picked up the thread, writing in a post on X, 'I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!' Trump, along with other world leaders, attended Pope Francis' funeral last Saturday (April 26) in Rome. Viral images on social media purported to show that Trump had fallen asleep during the funeral service; however, according to Snopes, that is false, with the fact-checking site saying 'the video coverage indicates otherwise.' The Vatican conclave, set to begin on May 7, will include 133 Cardinal electors, the first with more than 120, according to Vatican News. Trump has said that although he was 'confirmed at a Presbyterian church as a child, I now consider myself to be a non-denominational Christian.' It's not the first time Trump has shared fake images on his Truth Social account. Last August, Trump posted a series of AI-generated images falsely claiming that Taylor Swift endorsed him for president, including one portraying the singer as Uncle Sam overlaid with a message that said 'Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.' And later that month, Trump shared a photoshopped picture depicting himself and several associates as DC superhero characters (with Trump as Superman, JD Vance as Batman, Elon Musk as the part-human/part-robot Cyborg, Vivek Ramaswamy as the Flash, Tulsi Gabbard as Wonder Woman and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Aquaman). Best of Variety Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Netflix in May 2025
