Trump on 'Pope Composite Photo' Controversy: "My Wife Thought It Was Cute"

“It Wasn’t Me Who Made It” in Response to Criticism Over Social Media Post

U.S. President Donald Trump brushed off criticism about an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope that was shared on social media, saying, "Catholics liked it." He also stated that his wife Melania, who is Catholic, was similarly unfazed.

On May 5 (local time), when reporters at the White House in Washington, D.C. pointed out criticism from some in the Catholic community regarding the Pope composite photo, President Trump responded, "Does that mean they don't understand a joke? Catholics liked it," and claimed that reports conveying Catholic criticism were "fake news." He continued, "I have nothing to do with that image. Someone created a photo of me dressed as the Pope and posted it on the internet. I didn't do it." He added, "I only saw it last night. In fact, my wife thought it was cute. She said, 'Isn't that nice?' Of course, if it were real, I wouldn't have been able to get married," he joked.

A composite photo posted by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account... Yonhap News Truth Social account

First Lady Melania Trump, unlike President Trump, is known to be Catholic. On April 26, she attended the funeral of Pope Francis with President Trump.

A few days after the death of Pope Francis, on April 29, President Trump jokingly responded to a question about the next Pope by saying, "I want to be the Pope." On May 2, he posted the AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope on his Truth Social account. The same photo was also posted on the White House X (formerly Twitter) account.

On Sunday the 4th in Rome, Italy, a newspaper reader is reading the Italian daily La Repubblica, which featured an AI-generated composite photo of U.S. President Donald Trump dressed as the Pope on the front page. Photo by AP Yonhap News

This led to criticism from the Catholic community and believers, who said that such behavior was inappropriate so soon after the Pope's passing.

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines wrote on Facebook, "It's not funny at all," while Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, when asked if he found the photo offensive, replied, "Well, it wasn't good."

The Q&A with reporters that day was held in connection with President Trump's announcement that the 2027 NFL Draft would be held at the National Mall in Washington. The NFL Draft, which has been held annually since 1936, takes place every April and is broadcast nationwide, drawing significant public attention.