‘‘Catholics Love It” – Trump Responds To Controversy Over His Pope-Themed AI Photo

US President Donald Trump has responded to the controversy surrounding an AI-generated image depicting him as the Pope, which appeared on his Truth Social account last Friday and was subsequently reposted by the White House on X.

The image drew condemnation from the Catholic Conference of New York State, which released a statement denouncing the post. “There is nothing clever or funny about it,” the group said. “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.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the President, noting that Trump had visited Italy to honor the late Pope Francis and has consistently championed Catholics and religious freedom.

During a press event in the Oval Office on Monday, where Trump announced the 2027 NFL Draft, he faced questions about the criticism from Catholic leaders and Christian organizations. He brushed off the controversy, blaming it on media misrepresentation.

“You don’t mean the Catholics — you mean the fake news media. The Catholics loved it,” Trump said. “I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the Pope and 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 know nothing about it.”

He mentioned that he first noticed the image on Sunday evening. “My wife thought it was cute,” he said.

Trump also made light of the notion of becoming Pope, remarking, “To the best of my knowledge, Popes aren’t big on getting married. Are they? Not that we know of.”

Dismissing suggestions that the AI-generated image damages the White House’s social media credibility, Trump stated, “Give me a break — somebody did it in fun. It’s fun.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli