By Ghazali Ibrahim 
United States President Donald Trump has ignited controversy after sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope, just days after the death of Pope Francis.
The image, posted on Trump’s social media platform Truth Social on Saturday morning, shows the president clad in papal regalia, mimicking the attire of the head of the Catholic Church.
The post has since garnered over 12,000 reactions and was even reposted by the White House’s official X handle.
The post comes shortly after Trump joked to reporters on the White House lawn that he would like to be Pope when asked who should succeed the late pontiff.
“I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice,” he said, before adding that he didn’t have a particular preference, though he noted there was “a cardinal in New York who was very good.”
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 following complications from a stroke and heart failure.
A conclave of cardinals is currently underway in Vatican City to elect the next spiritual leader of over a billion Catholics worldwide.
Trump’s AI-generated image has been met with widespread criticism and accusations of insensitivity from religious communities and the public at large.
“Please take this down,” pleaded one X user.
“Many Catholics, myself included, find this as a great disrespect to the past and future leader of our church.”
“Trump, as someone outside the U.S., I find your post utterly disrespectful to the Catholic community worldwide,” another commented.
“The papacy is a sacred institution for millions, and this mockery is an affront to their beliefs.”
Others questioned the timing of the post, calling it “completely disrespectful” in a period of mourning for the global Catholic community.
The backlash follows criticism of Trump’s appearance at Pope Francis’ funeral last week, where he wore a non-traditional blue suit and was seen chewing gum during the service.
His decision to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the funeral also drew ire from observers, who labelled it inappropriate.
The White House has yet to issue an official response to the backlash.
