WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself on Truth Social on Sunday, April 12, 2026, depicting him as a Jesus Christ–like figure with divine light emanating from his hands as he healed a man in a hospital bed while a demon floated in the background. The post went up on Orthodox Easter, one week after Easter Sunday for Catholic Christians, and drew criticism from several conservative commentators.

The image showed the president wearing a white robe and red sash with a ball of light in one hand and his other hand extended in a healing gesture. Conservative commentator Nick Adams, known for sharing AI-generated, biblically themed content featuring Trump, had first posted an original version of the image to X in early February, with a silhouette of a U.S. soldier in the background. In Trump's version, the soldier silhouette was replaced with a demonic figure with horns looming behind him. As of Monday morning, Trump had not taken down the image or apologized for posting it.

Fox News host and conservative commentator Riley Gaines criticized the post. "Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this." she wrote. "Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?"

Megan Basham, a Daily Wire writer, also objected. "I don't know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this." Basham wrote. She added: "Take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God."

Adams offered a different view. "America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation," he wrote.

The image post came the same day Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV on social media following the pope's remarks about a "delusion of omnipotence" in U.S. foreign policy, particularly surrounding the war with Iran. Trump said he was not a fan of Pope Leo XIV, called him weak on crime, and suggested the pope was catering to the radical left. Pope Leo XIV was the first U.S.-born pope in Catholic history.