The controversy between Mr. Trump and the Pope continues with Mr. Vance and the bishops’ opinions
President Donald Trump continued his feud with Pope Leo in a post on Truth Social, calling Iran’s possession of a nuclear bomb “absolutely unacceptable.”
President Donald Trump hasn’t backed down from his fight with Pope Leo XIV, resharing an AI-generated image of him being embraced by Jesus.
The latest post depicts President Trump glowing like an angel, with American flags surrounding him and the AI Jesus. This follows another AI-generated image he posted on Truth Social earlier this week, which was later deleted. That version depicted the president in a red and white robe holding a light in one hand and blessing a sick person with the other.
The first post evoked images of Jesus healing the sick, sparking backlash from some in President Trump’s party. The president denied portraying himself as Jesus.
“I thought it was me as a doctor. And I had ties to the Red Cross,” President Trump told reporters at the White House on April 13. “And only fake news would come up with something like that…I’m making people so much better.”
President Trump appeared to make light of the controversy in his latest post.
In an April 15 post, President Trump wrote, “The lunatics on the radical left may not like it, but I think this is a very good thing!!! President DJT,” with the caption:
Trump and Vance double down on criticism of Pope
The first image of President Trump “healing” someone was posted shortly after the president criticized Pope Leo XIV at length. The pope directly criticized not only the Iran war but also President Trump’s harsh words in the conflict, including his threat that “an entire civilization will perish tonight.”
In an April 12 Truth social post, President Trump called the Pope “soft on crime” and credited Leo with being elected to the Holy See.
The pope responded to the post on April 13 during a conversation with reporters, saying, “I am not afraid of the Trump administration, nor will I speak out loud about the message of the Gospel.”
Christians react to President Trump’s AI-generated Jesus Christ post
A post on Truth Social that compared President Donald Trump to Jesus Christ caused an uproar among Christians.
Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic, also said the Pope should be careful.
“I think it’s very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about theological issues,” Vance told the Turning Point USA gathering on April 14. “I like that the pope is a champion of peace. I think that’s certainly one of the roles of the pope. On the other hand, how can we say that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword?”
Trump again hit back at the Pope in an April 14 Truth social post.
“Can someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent and completely unarmed protesters in the last two months, and that Iran’s possession of a nuclear bomb is completely unacceptable,” Trump said.
The president’s public jabs have also angered some Catholics, the single largest religious denomination in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.
Pope continues to pray for peace amid war
Meanwhile, the Pope continues to pray for peace in the midst of war without revealing his name, including during his visit to Algeria, which arrived on April 13.
Pope Leo XIV said in a social media post on April 14 that “war, violence, injustice and lies” tear the heart of God.
“But the heart of our Father is not with the wicked, the arrogant and the proud. His heart is with the little and the humble, with whom he daily builds a kingdom of love and peace,” the pope said. “Where there is love and service, God is there.”
He repeated his message in another lengthy social media post on April 15, calling for an end to the war.
“Let us reject the logic of violence and war and embrace a peace based on love and justice, a peace that is not based on fear, intimidation or weapons. This peace disarms because it can resolve conflicts, open hearts and generate trust, empathy and hope,” the Pope said. “I repeat emphatically: The world longs for peace! Enough of war and all the suffering caused by death, destruction, and exile!”
Contributions: Phillip M. Bailey, Zac Anderson, Bart Jansen, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), thread, blue sky, and TikTok.
Terry Collins is a national correspondent for USA TODAY. Please contact us at tcollins@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X (Twitter) and Bluesky.
