Key Takeaways
- Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope, captioned with classic MAGA flair.
- The post came just days after Pope Francis’ funeral, prompting backlash, confusion, and blessed memes.
- Trump claimed the post represents his “spiritual leadership” and teased the launch of “Trump Bibles: Papal Edition.”
In what may go down as the holiest of flexes of 2025, Donald Trump has declared himself Pope—via Instagram and artificial intelligence. Just days after the funeral of Pope Francis, the former president posted an AI-generated image of himself in full papal garb, arms outstretched before a crowd, wearing MAGA-red vestments and what appears to be a golden golf club in place of a staff.
“Spiritual. Powerful. Probably the best Pope, people are saying,” Trump wrote in the caption. “They’ve never seen a Pope like this. Truly inspirational. Just tremendous robes.”
A Holy PR Move
The timing of the post, coming mere days after the actual Pope was laid to rest, sparked immediate outrage from religious leaders and normal humans alike. One Vatican aide reportedly choked on incense upon seeing the image. Others say they thought it was a Babylon Bee post until they realized it was real—and somehow dumber.
“It’s deeply disrespectful,” said one Catholic bishop. “You can’t just AI yourself into sainthood. At the very least, wait a week and learn Latin.”
The Papal Pivot
Trump, however, seemed unfazed by the backlash. On Truth Social, he doubled down, writing, “Pope Francis was good. I will be better. People are saying it. Even God’s like, ‘Wow, big upgrade.’” He later teased a line of “Papal MAGA” merchandise including a gold-plated incense burner and a chalice shaped like Trump Tower.
Sources close to the former president claim he is considering a “Trump Vatican West” resort concept in Mar-a-Lago, complete with velvet confessionals, 24-hour communion buffets, and a live stream of him blessing golf carts.
Internet Reacts Like It Always Does
The internet wasted no time. Within hours, hashtags like #PopeDon and #HolyOrange began trending. One user posted, “And on the eighth day, AI created the meme… and it was cursed.” Others suggested pairing the image with Gregorian chants remixed with Kid Rock.
Satirical accounts declared it “the most American Pope since Clint Eastwood,” while Photoshop edits replaced the Papal tiara with a cheeseburger and added an “Amen, brother” banner behind the altar.
What’s Next for His Holiness?
Trump’s team has not clarified whether the post was sincere, ironic, or simply a side effect of an energy drink-fueled Canva binge. Regardless, it appears Trump is positioning himself as a new kind of spiritual leader—one who skips the humility but triples down on branding.
As of press time, the AI image remains posted, now with 2.4 million likes, 1.7 million eye-rolls, and several thousand confused Catholics wondering if confession apps now come with CAPTCHA.
