Recently, former U.S. President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the picture, Trump is shown wearing traditional papal clothing, including white robes, a gold cross necklace, and a tall mitre hat. He is pointing his finger toward the sky in the image.
This playful post came after Trump made a light-hearted comment to reporters, saying he would like to become the next pope. His remark was made ahead of an important event — the Vatican’s conclave, which will take place on May 7, where Catholic leaders will gather to choose a new pope. This follows the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21.
Trump attended Pope Francis’s funeral and said he did not have a strong favorite for who should become the next pope. However, he did praise a cardinal from New York, suggesting some admiration. In the United States, about 20% of the population identifies as Catholic, and in the last election, most Catholic voters supported Trump.
The AI-created image and Trump’s comments have added some light-hearted attention to the serious process of selecting a new leader for the Catholic Church.
