US President Donald Trump has shared a spoof image of himself dressed as the Pope on his Truth Social platform, following a joke about his desire to become the next Catholic pontiff. The image, seemingly AI-generated, depicts Trump wearing papal regalia, including white robes, a gold crucifix pendant, and a mitre hat, with his right index finger pointed towards the sky.
This comes after Trump jokingly told reporters this week that he would like to be the next Pope, days before cardinals are set to begin the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor, following his death on April 21. When asked who he would prefer to succeed Pope Francis, Trump stated, “I’d like to be Pope, that would be my number one choice.” Trump also mentioned he had no specific preference but noted a “very good” cardinal in New York. He appeared to be referring to Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, a theological conservative and staunch opponent of abortion. Trump attended Pope Francis’s funeral service last week, his first foreign trip since returning to power. Approximately 20% of Americans identify as Catholic, and exit polls from November indicated they voted roughly 60% in favor of Trump. Pope Francis had been a prominent moral voice on the world stage, often critical of Trump. During Trump’s initial presidential campaign in 2016, Francis strongly criticized his promise to build a border wall to seal off Mexico. Francis told reporters, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.” Cardinals will convene on May 7 in a conclave within the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to elect a new Pope.
