United States President, Donald Trump, has deleted an AI-generated image posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, after it triggered backlash from religious commentators who accused him of blasphemy.
The image, which appeared online late Sunday and was removed on Monday, showed Donald Trump dressed in flowing red and white robes, placing his hand on the forehead of a sick man, with rays of light appearing to emanate from his hand and head.
An American flag waved in the background while several figures looked on in apparent reverence.
When asked about the post, Trump rejected claims that he was portraying himself as Jesus Christ.
“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do Red Cross,” he told journalists. “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 post drew strong reactions from conservative Christian figures, including commentator Megan Basham, who condemned it in harsh terms.
“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,” she wrote on X. “He needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”
Trump has previously used religious-themed imagery in his posts. In 2023, during his bank fraud trial, he shared an illustration from a supporter showing him seated beside Jesus in a courtroom scene.
His allies have also occasionally framed him in religious symbolism. During an Easter lunch event at the White House earlier this month, televangelist and spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain drew parallels between Trump and Jesus.
“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Saviour showed us.”
