Donna Brazile, speaking from her Catholic upbringing, condemns President Trump for resharing AI images that depict him as religious figures and for attacking Pope Leo XIV. The pope replied that he will continue to speak the Gospel without fear. Brazile highlights prior AI controversies, Trump’s reported earnings from a commercialized "Trump Bible," and warns that antagonizing Catholic leaders risks alienating Catholic voters — a politically consequential move ahead of midterms.
No, Mr. President — Catholic Leaders and Voters Aren’t Pleased
Opinion - No, President Trump: ‘The Catholics’ do not love this.
As a woman raised Catholic who attends Mass regularly, I never expected to see a U.S. president publicly mock both Jesus and the pope. Yet President Trump’s recent actions — resharing AI-generated religious images and lashing out at Pope Leo XIV — deserve scrutiny.
Most notably, Trump reshared an AI-generated image portraying him as Jesus: wearing a long white robe and red cloak, bathed in glowing light while healing a man. He later deleted the post, saying he believed the image showed him as a doctor, after it drew broad criticism.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump wrote — suggesting that papal moral judgment should be subordinate to election results.
He also attacked Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, calling him “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” and insisting the pope “should be thankful” to him. The pope — born Robert Prevost 70 years ago on Chicago’s South Side, with family roots in New Orleans — responded calmly: he does not want a public debate but has “no fear of the Trump administration” and will continue to speak the message of the Gospel loudly.
Context And Pattern
This episode fits a broader pattern of problematic uses of AI imagery and insensitive posts linked to the president’s social channels. An AI-generated image posted in May on the White House X account showed Trump dressed as the pope during the mourning period for Pope Francis; Trump denied involvement after criticism and falsely claimed “The Catholics loved it.” In February, an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicted President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes; that racist video was removed and Trump said he was unaware of the post.
There is also a commercial angle: editions of a so-called “Trump Bible” were sold for $59.99, with endorsed editions priced at $99.99. Reports say Trump earned about $1.3 million in 2024 from endorsing one edition — a reminder that religious imagery can be monetized.
Why This Matters Politically
Beyond questions of taste and ethics, this matters politically. Trump won roughly 55% of the Catholic vote in 2024, up from about 49% in 2020 when he lost the popular vote to Joe Biden. With midterm elections approaching, antagonizing the pope and Catholic leaders risks alienating a key voting bloc — a risk Republicans should not ignore if they hope to hold or expand congressional majorities.
We have a right to expect the president to treat people of all faiths and backgrounds with dignity. Religious leaders answer to a spiritual authority, not political officeholders, and elected leaders should appreciate that distinction.
Donna Brazile is a political strategist, a contributor to ABC News and a former chair of the Democratic National Committee. She is the author of "Hacks: Inside the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House." Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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