Washington’s buzzing, and it’s not just the usual political squabble. On May 2, 2025, President Donald Trump lobbed a digital grenade onto his Truth Social platform: an AI-generated image of himself decked out as the Pope, white robes, mitre, and all, perched on a papal throne with a crucifix dangling from his neck. The post, dropped without a caption, hit the internet like a match in a dry field, sparking a blaze of reactions just days after the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
The stunt wasn’t out of nowhere. Earlier that week, Trump fielded a question at the White House about who should succeed the late pontiff. His answer? A quip that raised eyebrows: he’d like to be Pope himself, calling it his “number one choice.” He tossed in a nod to Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as a “very good” pick but left it at that. Then came the photo, a vivid, almost surreal depiction of Trump in full Vatican regalia, his hand raised as if blessing the masses. The White House doubled down, reposting the image on its official Instagram account, ensuring it spread like wildfire.
This wasn’t Trump’s first brush with the Vatican. He and First Lady Melania Trump attended Pope Francis’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on April 26, joining world leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The late Pope, who died at 88 from a stroke and heart failure, had been a vocal critic of Trump’s policies, especially on immigration, creating a tense backdrop to the president’s presence at the ceremony. That history made the AI image land harder, especially with the Vatican’s conclave to elect a new Pope set for May 7.
The internet didn’t hold back. Some saw it as classic Trump, a cheeky jab meant to rile up critics. Others weren’t laughing, calling it a slap in the face to Catholics mourning Francis and preparing for the sacred process of choosing his successor. The image, also shared on Trump’s Instagram and the White House’s social media, racked up views and comments faster than a D.C. scandal. No official statement from the White House or Trump’s team explained the post, leaving it to stand alone as a bold, wordless statement.
The Catholic Church, meanwhile, is focused on its 133 cardinal electors, including four from India and one American, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, though Dolan’s name has surfaced in chatter. No American has ever been Pope, and Trump’s playful bid isn’t changing that math. Still, the photo’s timing, just before the conclave, guarantees it’ll be a talking point as the Vatican gears up for its historic vote.
Trump’s post came days after Vice President JD Vance stirred his own Vatican-related buzz, joking about Senator Marco Rubio as a papal candidate. The administration’s penchant for provocative moves is no secret, but this image—shared across official channels—marks a new level of audacity. Whether it’s a calculated troll or a spur-of-the-moment flex, it’s got the world’s attention.
The facts are clear: Trump posted the AI image on May 2, 2025, on Truth Social and Instagram. The White House amplified it on its Instagram. Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. The conclave starts May 7. Beyond that, the story’s still unfolding, raw and unfiltered, like the city it’s coming from.