Donald Trump has removed a social media post featuring an image that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ. The deletion followed a wave of condemnation from conservative religious leaders who labeled the post blasphemous.
Conservative journalist and commentator Megan Basham criticized the post on X, questioning the president's motives. "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 could there be for this SCANDALOUS BLASPHEMY," Basham wrote.
Basham demanded an immediate retraction and an apology to both the American public and God.
Catholic podcaster Isabel Brown also denounced the imagery as "disgusting and unacceptable." She stated the post represented a "deeply erroneous reading" of the current religious climate in the United States.
Brown noted that the country is currently experiencing a "true and beautiful resurgence of faith in Christ" despite a fractured culture.
Political Instrumentalization
Jesús Becerril, an academic from the Department of Religious Sciences at Universidad Iberoamericana, suggested the post was a calculated political move. He argued that the use of religious imagery by Trump does not stem from spiritual conviction.
"We are facing a deeply outrageous scenario, in which religion is instrumentalized to justify war, feed hate speech, legitimize racism and exclusion," Becerril said in a statement released by the university.
Trump addressed the incident on Monday afternoon, acknowledging that he had shared the image. However, he denied any intention to compare himself to Jesus.
"Yes, I published it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and that it had to do with the Red Cross," Trump declared.
He defended the imagery by claiming his role involves improving the lives of citizens. "I am supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I make people better. I make people much better," he said.
The social media incident follows recent friction between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. Trump had previously criticized the Pope for his messages regarding the cessation of war.
Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native elected in May 2025, has taken a firm stance against several decisions made by the Trump administration. Despite these disagreements, the Pope has maintained open channels of communication with the U.S. government.
