Donald Trump has posted an AI-generated picture of himself wearing papal regalia on his Reality Social platform – simply 11 days after the dying of Pope Francis.
Uploaded onto his account early on Saturday morning, it exhibits the US president with a big gold cross on a sequence round his neck.
From there, it was revealed, with out remark or rationalization, on the White Home X and Instagram accounts and, although it drew fierce criticism, it was appreciated greater than 100,000 occasions.
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It comes only a few days after the world chief joked that he’d wish to be the pontiff.
Final week, he was requested by reporters on the White Home garden who he want to succeed Francis and he replied: “I’d like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice.”
He went on to say that he didn’t have a desire, however there was a cardinal in New York who was “very good”.
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‘I would wish to be pope’
Mr Trump was shortly accused of mocking Pope Francis’s dying, however, by midday, UK time, the publish had been appreciated greater than 58,000 occasions on Instagram.
Person feedback, nonetheless, have been largely damaging, with one saying that the picture “isn’t funny. It’s not satire. And it’s not harmless”.
One other merely referred to as it “disgusting”, whereas different reactions included “disturbing”, “disrespectful” and “offensive”.
On X, the place the image was appreciated greater than 78,000 occasions, a person commented that Mr Trump was “making a mockery of the pious”, whereas one other judged it “not a wise decision”.
The conclave to pick a brand new pontiff will start on 7 Could after the dying of Francis, the chief of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Argentinian, who turned pope in 2013, died on Easter Monday on the age of 88 as a result of a stroke and coronary heart failure.
Final weekend, the president was criticised for carrying a non-traditional blue swimsuit for Francis’s Vatican funeral and chewing gum throughout the ceremony.
Nevertheless, his assembly in St Peter’s Basilica with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier than the outside mass received beneath means was dubbed “Pope Francis’s miracle” by members of the clergy.
Picture:
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in St Peter’s Basilica. Pic: Ukrainian Presidential Press Workplace
Mr Trump’s personal spiritual views have lengthy been a matter of hypothesis.
He was raised as a Presbyterian and publicly recognized with it for many of his grownup life, earlier than, in October 2020, he renounced it and stated he now thought-about himself a non-denominational Christian.
Many have questioned the depth of his religion, however that hasn’t stopped him interesting to conservative Christians and the Christian proper, notably evangelicals, a few of whom have helped him get elected twice.
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Earlier this yr, Mr Trump shared a weird AI-generated video on his Reality Social platform showcasing what seemed to be a imaginative and prescient of Gaza beneath his proposed plan.
The footage confirmed the world remodeled right into a Center Jap paradise with unique seashores, Dubai-style skyscrapers, luxurious yachts and folks partying – and featured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk.
