'Gross blasphemy.' Image depicting Trump as Jesus figure removed after uproar

An AI-generated image President Donald Trump posted online depicting himself as a Christ-like figure sparked an uproar among some religious conservatives, including criticism that the image was blasphemous.

Less than a day later, the image of a man wearing a white robe draped with a red shawl was removed from Trump's social media feed in what appeared to be a rare concession to critics. Trump later said the image was being misconstrued, and that he was depicted as a doctor not Jesus.

“This is gross blasphemy,” Brilyn Hollyhand, the former chair of the Republican National Committee’s Youth Advisory Council and a self-described “full time Christian” said of the image in a social media post. “Faith is not a prop. You don’t need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself.”

The president posted the image on his Truth Social account on April 12. It depicted Trump laying his hand on the forehead of a man who appears to be in a sick bed. A light glows in Trump’s other hand and light shines around the sick man’s head. An American flag waves in the background as a bald eagle flies nearby.

Shortly before Trump posted the image, he put out a long message on social media criticizing Pope Leo XIV, who has been critical of the Iran war, as “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons.” In response, the pope said he has "no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel."

Roughly 1 in 5 Americans identify as Catholic, and Trump’s clash with the first American pope could have political ramifications. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement defending the pope after Trump's criticism.

The image Trump posted of himself also generated strong pushback. Trump defended sharing it and disputed that he was trying to compare himself to Jesus.

"I did post it and I thought it was me as as a doctor," the president told reporters during an April 13 White House event, adding: "It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

But some on the right saw the image as offensive.

Conservative activist Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who has campaigned against transgender women competing in women’s sports, said in a social media post that she couldn’t understand why Trump would post the image.

“A little humility would serve him well,” said Gaines, who attended a White House event where Trump signed an executive order on transgender sports participation last year, adding: “God shall not be mocked.”

The conservative Catholic group CatholicVote.org, which was cofounded by Trump Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, condemned the image as “blasphemous” and shared criticism of his statement about the pope.

A Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year found that 69% of White evangelical protestants approve of Trump’s job performance. Evangelicals are some of his strongest supporters and have been a key part of his political coalition. Trump has worked to maintain that connection, hosting faith leaders at the White House.

During the 74th National Prayer Breakfast in February, Trump said he's "done more for religion than any other president."

The Jesus-like image, however, touched a nerve with some religious conservatives, marking a rare moment of discord for Trump and an important part of his base.

Megan Basham, a writer for the conservative Daily Wire media company and self-described “unabashed church lady” who wrote a book criticizing a “leftist agenda” among some evangelical leaders, called the image “OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy.”

“He needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God,” Basham said on social media.

Michael Knowles, a conservative Catholic and podcaster for the Daily Wire, suggested the image could hurt Trump politically.

“I assume someone has already told him, but it behooves the President both spiritually and politically to delete the picture, no matter the intent,” Knowles wrote on social media.

Oklahoma Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, founder of Pastors for Trump and a candidate for Congress, defended Trump amid the uproar. Lahmeyer, who noted he has met with Trump multiple times in the Oval Office, said in a social media post that "I can confidently say that President Trump does not remotely think he is Jesus."

"But President Trump knows that he needs God’s blessing and favor to accomplish the mission of Making America Great Again," Lahmeyer added.

Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy