Donald Trump removed a digitally generated image portraying himself in religious robes after prominent evangelical supporters denounced it as blasphemy, though the president insisted the picture was meant to depict him as a doctor.
The image showed Trump in a white robe with a red sash, one hand touching a bedridden man's forehead while the other held a glowing orb alongside an American flag and Statue of Liberty. It surfaced shortly after Trump attacked Pope Leo on social media, calling the pontiff "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."
Conservative Christian commentators erupted. Megan Basham, a prominent Protestant writer, posted that Trump needed to "take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God." Political commentator Cam Higby, who said he spends eight hours daily defending Trump, stated bluntly: "I will not defend blasphemy." Riley Gaines, the former collegiate swimmer and podcaster, questioned the post directly, writing that "a little humility would serve him well" and that "God shall not be mocked."
Trump confirmed Monday he had posted the image himself but rejected the blasphemy interpretation. "It's supposed to be me as a doctor," he said, claiming he'd only learned of the backlash through "fake news." In a CBS News interview, he added that he removed it to avoid confusion, denying he'd been influenced by criticism from Gaines or others.
The post vanished the same day Trump's Religious Liberty Commission held a scheduled meeting. His White House has not commented on the incident.
Religious scholars note the contradiction in Trump's approach. David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, pointed out that Trump removed the image that offended his evangelical base yet left his criticism of Pope Leo untouched. "That is telling, and also complicates the future path for Trump's would-be political heirs, JD Vance and Marco Rubio, both Catholics," Gibson said.
The timing creates complications for Vice President Vance, who has frequently highlighted his status as the first Catholic convert to serve in that role and represented the U.S. at Pope Leo's inaugural mass. Trump, meanwhile, risks further alienating white evangelicals, whose support has been slipping in recent polling despite their continued backing of the president.
The religious imagery controversy reflects a pattern in Trump's relationship with faith voters. The administration has cultivated evangelical support through the Department of Justice, which reportedly concluded that the previous administration's DOJ was anti-Christian based on its enforcement of abortion clinic protections and Covid regulations.
Trump himself has long embraced religious comparisons. Conservative evangelical preacher Lance Wallnau has called Trump a modern version of Cyrus, the ancient Persian king, saying the former president has "an anointing upon him" and "the hand of God is on him." Trump supporters have drawn parallels to King David, portraying him as a flawed biblical figure chosen by God to lead. Trump has claimed God "spared him" after two assassination attempts in 2024.
This latest episode echoes earlier instances of Trump invoking religious language. In 2016, he famously misidentified his favorite biblical verse as "Two Corinthians" at an evangelical college appearance. In 2019, during his first term, he described himself as "the chosen one" while discussing trade negotiations, later claiming he was joking.
The Catholic subreddit exploded over the papal dispute, with moderators creating a megathread that drew more than 1,500 comments within hours, marking one of the most discussed topics in the community's 18-year history.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Trump's quick deletion proves evangelical anger still moves him, even if he won't admit it, but leaving his papal attacks in place reveals exactly where his political calculations actually land."
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