The White House ignited a global media firestorm today after posting a digitally altered image of former President Donald Trump dressed in full papal regalia, complete with the papal mitre and golden staff. The official government account captioned the image: “America’s spiritual leader. A blessing for the world.”
The image was uploaded without context to both the White House’s website and its official social media pages, sending shockwaves through religious communities, political circles, and international allies. Within minutes, the post triggered mass confusion, condemnation from the Vatican, and accusations of blasphemy.
Religious leaders were quick to condemn the move. A senior Vatican spokesperson called the image “deeply disrespectful” and “a distortion of sacred symbolism for political spectacle.” The Archbishop of New York stated, “This is not satire. It’s sacrilege masquerading as state communication.”
The image, widely believed to be AI-generated, appeared alongside messaging that referred to Trump as “The Chosen One” and claimed he was