President Donald Trump defended an AI-generated image depicting him as a healing figure at the White House on Monday. The president addressed the controversy after deleting a post from his Truth Social network that had drawn criticism from Catholic groups.
Trump claimed the imagery was intended to represent his ability to improve the lives of citizens. "I thought it was me as a doctor," Trump told reporters. "It is supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better."
The controversy began Sunday when Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated image on Truth Social. The image portrayed the president in a manner reminiscent of Jesus the healer.
The publication prompted immediate backlash from members of the Catholic community. Trump responded to the criticism by attacking the press, stating that "only fake news media could invent something like this."
Conflict with the Vatican
The social media dispute coincided with a growing diplomatic rift between the White House and the Vatican. Trump recently issued a message criticizing Pope Leo XIV for his opposition to the war in Iran.
The conflict, involving the United States and Israel, began on February 28. Trump used the platform to label the Pope "weak against crime and terrible in foreign policy."
The Pope addressed the tension while traveling by plane on Monday. He stated that he does not fear the Trump administration and intends to maintain his diplomatic stance.
"I will continue to raising my voice to build peace," the Pope told the press.
Trump indicated he would not seek reconciliation with the religious leader. When asked by reporters at the White House if he planned to apologize to the Pope, the president said he would not, because he believes the Pope's recent statements "are wrong."
