The president shrugged off backlash to an artificial intelligence-generated image that depicted him as the pope. One expert in religious studies weighs in.

Over 12 years as pope, Francis tried to remake the U.S. Catholic hierarchy more in his image, elevating pastors who prioritized social justice and migration issues over culture warriors who were more favored by his more doctrinaire predecessors St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. A new pope who is more conservative could reverse that effort.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself as pope on Truth Social. Rating: True (About this rating?) In May 2025, as Catholics around the world mourned the death of Pope Francis and days before the conclave to elect a new pope was set to begin,