In yet another tone-deaf spectacle of arrogance and contempt for religious sentiment, former U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed backlash from Catholics after an AI-generated image of him dressed as the Pope was posted to his Truth Social account. Rather than apologising for what many viewed as a sacrilegious parody, Trump chose to laugh off the outrage, claiming those offended by the image “can’t take a joke.”
The doctored image, depicting Trump in white and gold pontifical robes, mimicking the highest office of the Catholic Church, was met with swift condemnation from members of the Christian community. Despite the uproar, Trump flatly denied any responsibility for the post, saying: “I had nothing to do with it… maybe it was AI.” This feeble excuse, cloaked in typical obfuscation, fails to address the fact that the image was uploaded to his personal account and later promoted by the White House’s official X account.
When confronted with the offence caused to Catholics worldwide, Trump doubled down: “Oh, they can’t take a joke,” he scoffed. The statement reveals not only a staggering level of insensitivity but a fundamental misunderstanding of the deep reverence many hold for the papacy. To mock the sacred symbolism of the Catholic Church—especially by a non-Catholic—strikes at the heart of religious integrity.
Trump further attempted to trivialise the issue, saying “the Catholics loved it,” despite clear evidence to the contrary. This sweeping generalisation is not only disingenuous but offensive in itself, ignoring the legitimate concerns of faithful Catholics who saw the image as a blasphemous mockery of their beliefs.
To make matters worse, Trump claimed he first saw the image days after it was posted and suggested it had somehow appeared independently on his own platform. This explanation, riddled with implausibility, is a transparent attempt to dodge accountability.
Even more baffling was his claim that First Lady Melania Trump “thought it was cute.” However, this was later cleared up when it was discovered she actually said, “She thought he was a cunt,” and that he had conveniently misheard.
The trivialisation of such a sacred image into something ‘cute’ underscores the total lack of respect for Catholic tradition. Trump, not baptised into the Catholic Church and thus entirely ineligible to participate in any papal office, continues to blur the line between religious reverence and political theatre for personal amusement and attention.
In the end, this incident is not just about a tasteless image—it is about yet another example of a public figure abusing his platform, minimising deeply held beliefs, and mocking sacred institutions. For many, it is a stark reminder that blasphemy is not always a matter of overt hatred—it can also come dressed in mockery, cloaked in vanity, and defended under the guise of a ‘joke.’ But for the faithful, this is no laughing matter.
