Trump shares AI Pope image after joke goes viral

Washington

US President Donald Trump has stirred fresh attention after sharing an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope. This followed his lighthearted comment earlier in the week, saying that becoming the Pope would be his “number one choice.”

The image, posted on Trump’s Instagram and Truth Social, shows him in full papal robes. The White House also reshared it on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.

When asked who should succeed the late Pope Francis, Trump said he had “no preference” but hinted support for a New York-based cardinal, as reported by Politico.

Pope Francis passed away on April 21 at age 88 at his Vatican residence. He had recently returned home after five weeks in the hospital due to an infection and double pneumonia. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, he became Pope in 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.

With his death, the Vatican prepares for a new papal election. The College of Cardinals will meet in a conclave on May 7. All 133 eligible cardinals will vote, including four from India: Cardinals Filipe Neri Ferrao, Baselios Cleemis, Anthony Poola, and George Jacob Koovakad.

World leaders, including Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, attended Pope Francis’s funeral.

Trump’s AI image has drawn mixed reactions online, with supporters calling it humorous while critics saw it as inappropriate. The former president, known for using social media provocatively, has not commented further.