Pope Leo has been critical of Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran

Trump posts image of him with Jesus amid Pope criticism

15 Apr 2026, 05:58 · RTE.ie

US President Donald Trump has posted an apparently AI-generated image of Jesus embracing him, two days after he deleted a post that prompted criticism that the Republican president had compared himself to Jesus.

The image, reposted to Mr Trump's Truth Social account, shows Mr Trump with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus.

Mr Trump is standing behind a microphone and behind him is an American flag.

The original post had the caption: "I was never a very religious man .. but doesn't it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed ... that God might be playing his Trump card!"

Mr Trump's repost added the caption: "The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!"

Mr Trump has been feuding with Pope Leo, the first US-born leader of the Catholic Church and an outspoken critic of the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Mr Trump reiterated his criticism of the religious leader on Tuesday night.

In a separate post on Truth Social, Mr ‌Trump urged that "someone please tell Pope Leo" about the killings of protesters by Iran and that "for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable".

Pope calls for 'message of peace' after Trump attacks

Earlier, Pope Leo said that the world ⁠needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence.

Speaking on his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for the second leg of a whirlwind 10-day Africa tour, the first US pontiff urged respect for all people and said his travels so far had shown the importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities.

"Although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshipping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace," said the pontiff, referring to his two days in mostly Muslim Algeria, where the Catholic Church is a small minority.

"To promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to ‌hear today."

Pope critical of Iran war

Leo, who marks one year as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church in May, kept a relatively low profile for a pope in his first 10 months but in recent weeks has become an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The pope told Reuters on Monday that ‌he planned to keep criticising the war, regardless of Mr Trump's comments.

US Vice President JD Vance also said yesterday that it was important for the pope "to be careful when he talks about matters ⁠of theology" when referring to conflict.

Donald Trump has insisted that he was being depicted as a doctor in an AI image

The pope did not specifically address their comments on the flight today.

He referenced the writings of ‌one of his spiritual influences, St Augustine of Hippo. He said the saint, who died in the ⁠year 430, had ‌a vision "to seek for unity among all peoples and respect for all peoples, in spite of the differences".

He landed this afternoon in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, where he was scheduled to meet with President Paul Biya, who at 93 is the world's oldest ruler, and address national leaders.

Separatists vow safe passage for visitors

Leo is expected ⁠to appeal for an end to the simmering conflict in the country's English-speaking regions and will travel to the largest Anglophone city tomorrow.

A ⁠separatist alliance said on Monday it would observe a three-day "safe travel passage" to allow civilians and visitors to move freely during the pope's visit.

Leo, aged 70, relatively young for a pope and in good health, is undertaking one of the most complicated tours arranged for a pontiff in decades.

He is traversing nearly 18,000 kilometres over 18 flights to 11 cities and towns and will also visit Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The biggest event of Leo's tour will likely come in Cameroon on Friday, when the Vatican said some ‌600,000 are expected for a Mass in the coastal city of Douala.