Trump Deletes Controversial ‘Jesus’ Image Post Amid Backlash
US President Donald Trump swiftly removed a social media image that appeared to portray him as Jesus Christ following strong criticism from religious leaders who condemned it as blasphemous.
The AI-generated picture, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform late Sunday, was taken down on Monday. It depicted the president dressed in flowing red and white robes, with his hand touching the forehead of a seemingly ill individual. Beams of light emanated from his hand and head, while an American flag waved in the background and several figures looked up at him in apparent awe.
When questioned by journalists about the post, Trump rejected any suggestion that it showed him as Jesus. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do Red Cross,” he explained. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”
The image quickly drew sharp rebukes from prominent conservative Christians, many of whom count among Trump’s strongest supporters. Conservative journalist and commentator Megan Basham wrote on X: “I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy. He needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”
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This is not the first time Trump has shared religious-themed visuals. During his 2023 bank fraud trial, he posted a supporter’s sketch showing him seated beside Jesus in the courtroom. His advisors have also drawn parallels between him and Jesus on several occasions. At an Easter lunch at the White House earlier this month, televangelist Paula White-Cain, who serves as his spiritual advisor, compared Trump’s experiences to those of Jesus, saying, “You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us.”
Experts note that Trump has leaned more into a messianic image since surviving an assassination attempt in July 2024. In his victory speech after the 2024 election, he remarked, “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason, and that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness.”
Analysts suggest the deleted post could deepen divisions within his supporter base, especially as some question US involvement in the Middle East. Matthew Taylor, a visiting scholar at the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University, told AFP that the image might alienate certain groups already uneasy about the war in Iran and Trump’s public disagreements with Pope Leo.
Historian Kristin du Mez from Calvin University observed that while many conservative Christian backers distanced themselves from the post, describing it as inappropriate and calling for its removal, few indicated any shift in their overall political support for Trump.