Trump doubles down with new AI Jesus post after rare retreat on "Doctor" photo

• Refusing to retreat: Trump reshares "quite nice" AI Jesus after deleting "Messianic" post.

President Donald Trump reignited a viral religious controversy on Wednesday by resharing a screenshot of an AI-generated image depicting Jesus Christ embracing him, just days after he was forced to delete a post that sparked accusations of "gross blasphemy" from both ends of the political spectrum.

The image, originally posted on X by an account titled "Irish for Trump," shows a traditional representation of Jesus standing behind the President at a podium with a hand on his shoulder. Trump reshared the screenshot to his Truth Social account with the caption: "The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT"

The ‘Doctor’ Defense

The decision to reshare religious imagery comes on the heels of a rare retreat by the President. On Monday, Trump deleted a different AI-generated image that depicted him in flowing robes, holding a glowing orb while appearing to perform a healing miracle on a patient.

When reporters asked about the deletion, Trump offered a unique clarification, claiming he had no intention of being compared to a deity.

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and it had to do with the Red Cross," Trump said Monday. "It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better... Only the fake news could come up with [the Jesus comparison]."
Despite his "doctor" excuse, the original post he reshared on Wednesday included a caption that explicitly referenced divine intervention, stating: "I was never a very religious man... but doesn't it seem... that God might be playing his Trump card!"

Feud with the First American Pope

The President’s frequent use of religious motifs coincides with an intensifying feud with Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pontiff. Trump recently lashed out at the Pope on social media, calling him "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy" after the religious leader criticized the administration's military involvement in Iran.

Pope Leo has responded to the attacks with measured concern, warning of the risks of "majoritarian tyranny" and reaffirming that religious figures should not be used as props for political or military justification.

Regional Tension and the ‘One Soul’ Warning

The imagery also arrives as the US navigates a fragile, Pakistan-brokered ceasefire with Iran. While Trump has insisted the ceasefire is a success, he has flatly rejected calls to include Lebanon in the truce, calling the conflict there a "separate skirmish."

Iranian officials have seized on the President's social media behavior to question his diplomatic sincerity. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that "Resistance and Iran are one soul," asserting that no ceasefire can be "comprehensive" if strikes on Lebanon continue.

By resharing the "quite nice" image of divine endorsement, Trump continues to signal to his base that his "America First" agenda is a spiritual mandate, even as his relationship with traditional religious authorities and international allies remains under immense strain.