Amid much criticism, discussions and backlash, President Donald Trump has responded to his post with an artificial-intelligence-generated image of himself as the Pope, calling it a joke.
Speaking to reporters on May 5, Donald Trump first said he didn't know about the post, and later called it a joke, done in “fun”. The image was first posted to the official US White House social media accounts on May 2.
The AI-generated image showed Donald Trump dressed in white papal vestments. It was among two such images posted by the White House — the other being of the US president wielding one of the red-light sabers preferred by the Sith (villains) in the Star Wars franchise. The posts seemed geared towards mobilising MAGA supporters and trolling critics.
In the Oval Office on Monday, he denied knowing about the image, saying, “I just saw it last evening.”
Later during a press briefing Donald Trump told reporters on May 5 that the Pope image was posted as a joke on his Truth Social account, which was then reposted by the White House across social media. “I had nothing to do with it. It was just, somebody did it in fun. It’s fine. Have to have a little fun don’t you?” he said.
When further questioned about hurting the sentiments of Catholics, who are mourning the death of Pope Francis, Donald Trump was again dismissive.
“You mean they can't take a joke?” he responded when told: “Some Catholics were not so happy about the image of you looking like the Pope”. He added, “You don't mean the Catholics, you mean the fake news media. The Catholics loved it. I had nothing to do with it. Maybe it was AI.”
The White House did not respond to questions about who other than Donald Trump posts to his Truth Social account and who created the two memes.
Donald Trump has continually made headlines over his provocative social media posts, but experts warn this time is different because of the AI use, which can “blur fact and fiction in ways that can mislead.”
John Wihbey, director of the AI-Media Strategies Lab at Northeastern University in Boston said: “I think we are seeing a new phenomenon – the merging of social media and AI power, organised for political power and narrative dominance. He’s exploiting this uncharted territory. I suspect politicians around the world will begin to use generative AI and social together in newfound ways.”
According to Jennifer Mercieca, a presidential rhetoric scholar at Texas A&M University in College Station, Donald Trump has created a “visual fantasy of himself as a hero” amid falling ratings and an unpopular presidency, to “persuade the nation (and the world) that he is, in fact, a hero”.
A political strategist called Trump “the first influencer president” and said he is looking for crowd reaction. The “real test” would be if Trump attempted to “warp political reality” by using “more photo-realistic images that suggest historical events and scenes that did not occur."
For many Catholics, the image of Donald Trump dressed as the head of the Catholic Church and as God's representative on Earth was offensive. Among those who panned the leader included former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the global right enjoys being a clown),” Renxi wrote on X.
On X, the reactions were negative, with some lashing out at Donald Trump and the White House, some expressing disbelief, and other mocking him for the post. Here's how netizens reacted(With inputs from Reuters)
