Trump deletes Christ-like AI image after backlash

President Donald Trump said he personally posted an AI-generated image on social media comparing him to a Christ-like healing figure, which drew outrage from conservative Christians. 

The Sunday evening Truth Social post depicted Trump, wearing a white robe covered by a red shawl, touching his right hand to the brow of one other man laying in a bed wearing a hospital gown. Surrounding Trump and the bedridden man were several Americans in various roles: a nurse, and a girl praying.

The image background included an American flag, the Statue of Liberty and other classic American iconography together with several figures within the clouds above him, including a winged, three-horned figure descending from the heavens.

By noon on Monday, the post was deleted from Truth Social.

At a White House media briefing Monday, Trump revealed that he posted the image himself because he “thought it was me as a physician.”

“I did post it, and I believed it was me as a physician and needed to do with the Red Cross,” the president said. “There was a Red Cross employee there, which we support.”

The image shared on social media did include a nurse, but there was no indication of a Red Cross employee within the image. 

Trump blamed “the fake news” for alleging that the image compared him to Jesus. “It’s alleged to be me as a physician, making people higher, and I do make people higher,” he said. “I make people rather a lot higher.”

The post drew condemnation on social media from plenty of former Trump supporters, including former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wrote: “It’s greater than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.”

Christ Church pastor Douglas Wilson said he’s “very grateful” for Christians who pushed back on the post.

“I used to be very grateful to see what number of conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image,” Wilson wrote. “I used to be also grateful to see what number of center/left Christians suddenly agreed that public blasphemy is a thing we must always all be concerned about. A bit late, but still good.”

Conservative influencer Riley Gaines wrote: “Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he searching for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a bit humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.”

The controversial post comes just days after White House Faith Office director Paula White-Cain compared Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign — including surviving a failed assassination attempt — with the persecution of Jesus resulting in His crucifixion.

In remarks she gave during a non-public Easter lunch on the White House with other Christian leaders last Wednesday, White-Cain claimed God told her to inform Trump how thankful she is for him, in response to footage of the ceremony that the White House uploaded to YouTube.

“Jesus taught so many lessons through His death, burial and resurrection. He showed us great leadership, great transformation requires great sacrifice. And Mr. President, nobody has paid the value like you will have paid the value. It almost cost you your life,” she said.

“You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a well-recognized pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for Him, and it didn’t end there for you,” she continued.

“God all the time had a plan. On the third day, He rose, He defeated evil, He conquered death, Hell and the grave. And because He rose, everyone knows that we are able to rise. And, sir, due to His resurrection, you rose up. Because He was victorious, you were victorious.”

© The Christian Post