Trump has found himself at the centre of a scandal over a photo in which he is dressed as Jesus
This is reported by Politico.
Trump as Jesus: what is known about the image
In the picture, Trump is dressed in a white chiton and a red himation, and light emanates from his palms. With one hand, the president touches a man lying down in a hospital gown.
The head of state is surrounded by a nurse, a soldier, a man in a cap bearing the word ‘veteran’ and a woman at prayer. In the background to the right of Trump, the Statue of Liberty is visible, with fireworks above it and aeroplanes flying overhead.
Above the American leader’s head are silhouettes of men in military uniform with wings, from which light also emanates.
In the top left and right corners are bald eagles – the symbol of the USA. To the right of the image, the American flag is unfurling.
Reaction and removal
The image provoked a sharp reaction from social media users. In the comments, Trump was called a blasphemer and accused of disrespecting religious symbols.
The image was subsequently removed following criticism from some Christian commentators.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that he had personally asked Trump to remove the image.
"I did indeed ask him to remove it," he said.
The US President’s reaction
Trump himself denied the comparison with Jesus and told journalists that, in his view, he had been depicted as a doctor.
“Yes, I posted it, and I thought it was me as a doctor. It was related to the Red Cross – I’m depicted as a Red Cross worker,” he said.
Some of the president’s allies brushed it off as a joke – Trump is Trump. After all, he had previously posted a photo of himself dressed as the Pope.
"He posts all sorts of nonsense, so it doesn’t particularly offend me, but I just find it baseless, like: why do that? It’s just a nagging feeling, like a mosquito. It annoys me," said a Catholic from MAGA close to the White House.
Trump versus the Pope
The scandal surrounding the image also flared up against the backdrop of criticism of Pope Leo XIV, who had previously spoken out against the war in Iran and called for peace talks.
Trump sharply criticised the head of the Vatican, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy”.
In response, Pope Leo XIV stated that he is not afraid of pressure from the White House and will continue to oppose the war.
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