April 13, 2026 12:36 PM UTC

Trump Posts, Deletes Image Of Himself As Jesus

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• by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Wired reports that we weren’t the only ones to see the apocalyptic connection:

MAGA media figures have gone from defending President Donald Trump as God’s chosen president to making the case that he is actually the antichrist.

The accusations reached a fever pitch on Sunday night, after Trump posted an AI-generated image depicting himself dressed in a white robe and red sash and placing a hand radiating golden light on a man in a hospital bed. The image, which Trump deleted from Truth Social after around 14 hours, seemed to invoke Jesus Christ, and it outraged some supporters who likened Trump’s behavior to the antichrist—a figure in Christian theology who opposes Christ and whose appearance many believe could augur the end of time…

“I genuinely believe Trump is currently demon possessed,” far-right Texas pastor Joel Webbon wrote on X. Hours later, Webbon hosted a livestream chat titled “Is Donald Trump the Anti-Christ?”

The Knights Templar Order, a Christian organization based on a medieval military order, wrote of the post that they had “no other choice but to condemn it wholeheartedly and ask for a public apology.”

We’re still thinking the Antichrist would be…smarter. Smart enough not to have to constantly tell you he’s a genius.

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As the Washington Post’s Natalie Allison reports, President Donald Trump’s Messiah complex waxed a little too literal last night:

Shortly after posting a screed against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night as he returned to Washington from Florida, Trump shared an image that appeared to be AI-generated in the style of a painting, depicting him in a long white robe with a red cloak draped around his shoulders. In one hand was an orb glowing with light; Trump’s other hand rested on the forehead of a man in what resembled a hospital bed — light beaming from the man’s head as Trump appeared to pray for his healing. Patriotic symbols including an eagle, fireworks and the Statue of Liberty filled the frame.

Unlike the post criticizing Leo, whom Trump later said he didn’t like and is too “liberal,” the image evoking Jesus drew swift criticism from some evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics who have otherwise expressed near constant support for Trump’s decisions…

Back in February, Trump blamed the ubiquitous Rogue Staffer after his Truth Social account posted a video depicting former President Barack Obama as a primate. But this time, Trump is personally taking the fall, perhaps after being criticized for passing the proverbial buck:

Asked about the post Monday afternoon, Trump said he posted it.

“I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker, which we support,” Trump said. In the photo, Trump’s clothing is reminiscent of clothing worn in Jesus’ time and does not appear to be an outfit a modern doctor would wear. There is no reference in the photo to the Red Cross.

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better,” Trump continued. “And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

From Medicaid cuts to rolling back environmental regulations across the board, there’s plenty to take issue with in that last part. But faithful Christians are going to find it much harder to believe that Trump, or for that matter anyone, could look at this image and not conclude it is a depiction of Trump as Jesus. If you can’t instantly see that, it could be that you just aren’t that familiar with Christianity. Either that, or Trump is down with a little self-promotional blasphemy. Neither one seems like a very good look to the religious right voters Trump relies on. As for slamming the Pope? Evangelicals will be fine, but Vice President JD Vance might have to go to confession.

If we really wanted to encourage what they referred to in the movie InnerSpace as “theistic hysteria,” we’d direct readers to 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 2.

But Trump did delete it. The Antichrist wouldn’t do that.