Trump Deletes AI “Messiah” Image After Backlash from His Own Base
U.S. President Donald Trump has deleted a controversial social media post depicting himself in a Jesus-like form, following intense backlash from key figures within his conservative support base.
The AI-generated image, shared on Truth Social late Sunday, showed Trump dressed in a white robe with a red sash, with light emanating from his hands as he appeared to heal a sick man. The timing drew immediate scrutiny, coinciding with Orthodox Easter, a sensitive period in the Christian calendar.
Reaction was swift and unusually direct from allies.
Conservative activist Riley Gaines publicly rebuked the post, warning that “God shall not be mocked,” while commentator Michael Knowles urged Trump to remove the image for both “spiritual and political” reasons. Writer Megan Basham went further, calling on him to seek forgiveness.
Perhaps most striking was criticism from within Trump’s political orbit.
Republican figure Marjorie Taylor Greene described the imagery as carrying an “Antichrist spirit,” signalling discomfort even among staunch loyalists. The backlash forced Trump to delete the post within hours.
The controversy did not emerge in isolation.
It followed a separate outburst in which Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of being “weak on crime” and ineffective on foreign policy, particularly over calls for peace in the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. The combination of religious imagery and criticism of the papacy amplified tensions.
This is not the first such incident.
In May 2025, Trump shared another AI-generated image portraying himself as the Pope shortly after the death of Pope Francis, drawing similar criticism from religious observers and political analysts.
The latest episode highlights a growing risk in Trump’s communication strategy.
While provocative content has long been part of his political brand, this incident shows the limits of that approach, especially when it intersects with deeply held religious beliefs among his core supporters.
© The People’s Brief | Vesla Centurion Kals
