The AI-generated image of Trump in papal attire
Just hours after Vatican workers installed the chimney onto the roof of the Sistine Chapel to prepare for the Papal Conclave, which will begin on May 7 to select a new pope, the White House shared an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump in papal regalia on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
It comes just days after Trump joked that he would like to be considered to head the Catholic Church.
“I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice,” Trump told reporters outside the White House on Tuesday. Last Saturday, Trump was in Rome for the funeral of the late Pope Francis, his first foreign trip during his second term in office.
Pope Donald I?
The AI-generated image of Trump in papal attire, which included a large crucifix hanging around his neck, was first shared by the president on his Truth Social platform before the White House posted the image on X late Friday evening. As of Saturday morning, it had been viewed 17.5 million times.
Though it is unclear what motivated the president to post the image, it has been met with a mixed response. While many have found humor in it, others have been critical, calling it disrespectful.
During a Rose Garden event celebrating National Prayer Day on Thursday, the president also signed an executive order that established a presidential commission on religious liberty.
“They said separation of church and state, they told me. I said let’s forget about that for one time. We said, really? Separation? Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure,” Trump said.
Could Trump Actually Be Pope?
It would be highly unlikely that Donald Trump would even be considered by the College of Cardinals, who are set to gather in Vatican City for the conclave to choose the next pope. Set to begin on May 7, it will be the first in 20 years.
According to the apostolic constitution, the conclave must begin 15 to 20 days after the pope’s chair becomes “lawfully vacant.” A new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority of the ballots. As Donald Trump isn’t a cardinal, the deck is already stacked against him. In the history of the papacy, only six non-cardinals have been elected pope, the most recent being Pope Urban VI in 1378.
The bigger issue is Trump’s religion. While any baptized Catholic male could in theory be elected to head the church, Trump was raised in his Scottish-born mother’s Presbyterian faith, and publicly identified with it for most of his adult life.
Don’t Count On An American Pope This Time
Were Donald Trump actually selected pope, he would be the first from the United States, despite the country’s large Catholic population. However, it is unlikely that this conclave will select a U.S. citizen, though Trump did offer another name besides his own.
Even as Trump “joked” last week that he could be pope, he added, “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” he said, likely referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. Cardinal Dolan is not believed to be on any shortlist of possible contenders to succeed Pope Francis.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was the first cardinal from South America and the first Jesuit to be elected pope, becoming the late Pope Francis.
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