By Gloria Ogbonna
A post shared on President Donald Trump’s account on Truth Social was deleted after critics claimed it depicted him in the likeness of Jesus Christ — an interpretation Trump strongly rejected.
The image, posted Sunday night, quickly sparked backlash online, with some commentators suggesting the president had portrayed himself as a religious figure. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, Trump dismissed the claim and accused “the fake news” of distorting the intent behind the image.
When asked directly whether he had posted a picture of himself depicted as Jesus Christ, Trump responded bluntly.
“Well, it wasn’t a depiction. It was me,” Trump said. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and it had to do with the Red Cross; there’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support.”
He insisted the image was meant to portray him in a medical role — symbolizing healing or helping people — and not as a religious figure. Trump argued that media outlets had misrepresented the post for political reasons.
“Only the fake news could come up with that one,” he said. “I just heard about it, and I said, ‘How do they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better.”
“I Make People Better,” Trump Says
During the press gaggle, Trump expanded on his claim that he “makes people better,” pivoting to a real-life example standing beside him at the time.
He referenced Sharon Simmons, a delivery worker for DoorDash, who had delivered McDonald’s to the White House. According to Trump, Simmons earned approximately $11,000 in tips last year and did not have to pay taxes on that income due to provisions in what he called the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Trump noted that Simmons’s husband is undergoing serious cancer treatment and emphasized that the tax relief would significantly benefit her family.
“He’s going through some very serious cancer treatment, so this goes a long way,” Trump said, framing the example as evidence of policies he believes are directly improving Americans’ lives.
Escalating Rhetoric Toward Pope Leo XIV
The deleted post came shortly after Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV in a separate Truth Social message earlier Sunday evening.
In that post, Trump accused the pope of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” He also claimed that the pope had expressed “fear of the Trump Administration,” while failing to acknowledge what Trump described as restrictions placed on churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He talks about ‘fear of the Trump Administration,’ but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else for holding Church services,” Trump wrote.
Trump went on to criticize what he characterized as the pope’s positions on global security issues, particularly regarding Iran and Venezuela. He said he did not want a pope who would consider it acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, and defended U.S. actions against Venezuela, accusing the country of sending drugs and violent criminals into the United States.
“I don’t want criticism from the pope,” Trump added, “because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do — setting record low numbers in crime, and creating the greatest stock market in history.”
Political and Media Fallout
The controversy over the deleted image underscores the ongoing tensions between Trump and major media outlets, as well as his increasingly direct clashes with religious leadership. Critics argue that the imagery and rhetoric further inflame divisions, while supporters contend that the president is being unfairly targeted and misrepresented.
Though the post has been removed, the debate surrounding it continues to circulate online, adding another flashpoint to Trump’s already combative relationship with both the press and prominent global figures, including leaders of the Catholic Church and humanitarian groups such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
For Trump, however, the message remains unchanged: he maintains that the image was meant to symbolize healing and leadership — not divinity — and insists that media critics intentionally twisted its meaning.
Source Breitbart
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