Washington, D.C., May 3 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump has sparked global attention after sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed in full papal regalia, days after making a tongue-in-cheek comment about wanting to lead the Catholic Church.
The digitally altered image, which portrays Trump wearing the traditional white cassock, papal stole, and mitre, was posted across his personal social media platforms, including Instagram and Truth Social. The White House also circulated the image via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, further amplifying its reach and stirring both amusement and criticism.
Earlier in the week, Trump had joked with a reporter, saying, “I’d like to be Pope. That’d be my number one choice,” when asked about his aspirations or preferences regarding Church leadership. Although he clarified he had no specific candidate in mind to succeed the late Pope Francis, he remarked, “We have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” according to Politico.
This development comes amid global mourning following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025. The 88-year-old pontiff passed away peacefully at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta, just weeks after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where he was treated for a severe infection that developed into double pneumonia.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969. He rose to global prominence after being elected as the 266th pope by the papal conclave on March 13, 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. His papal name was chosen in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, reflecting his lifelong commitment to humility, compassion, and care for the poor.
In honor of his passing, world leaders gathered to pay their respects at the funeral, including President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
As the Church prepares for the election of its next leader, the College of Cardinals has confirmed that all 133 cardinal electors are eligible to vote in the upcoming papal conclave scheduled for May 7. Among the eligible cardinals are four from India: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Cardinal Anthony Poola, and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad.
Trump’s latest social media post, though clearly intended as satire, has drawn a mixture of reactions—ranging from bemusement to criticism—highlighting once again the unconventional and provocative nature of his public persona.
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