Donald Trump‘s spiritual advisor, Pastor Mark Burns, criticized an AI-generated image of Jesus that Trump posted on Truth Social. The photo depicted him as Jesus dressed in a white robe with bright light coming from his hand. The image showed him placing his hand on a sick man lying in a bed.
Burns told Times Radio, “He is a man who makes mistakes like every man, every Christian. President Trump is not our Saviour, he’s our President.” He also said the photo offended Christians and Catholics around the world.
The pastor added, “Here in America, our president is not the head of the Church,” he claimed, Trump is not a spiritual moral authority. Burns also addressed Trump’s personal relationship with Jesus. He said, “It wasn’t his intent to portray himself as master Jesus.”
Pastor and Spiritual Adviser to President Trump, Mark Burns, explains how President Trump’s faith shapes his leadership during the Iran war.#Trump #US @pastormarkburns pic.twitter.com/pjVkXdjMNH
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) April 10, 2026
Trump deleted the post after the widespread backlash. A reporter later asked him about it, and he made an excuse that he was supposed to be a doctor in the photo. He was also surrounded by nurses, army officers, and astronauts in the photo.
The image also showed a woman with her hands joined in prayer. Despite the explanation from Trump, many critics, including some lawmakers, said they were offended by the image. The president also said the image was not tied to religion and that claims suggesting otherwise were “fake news.”
Vance defends Trump’s post depicting himself as Jesus:
“I think the president was posting a joke. And of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case. I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up… pic.twitter.com/IL1jhekOrU
— FactPost (@factpostnews) April 13, 2026
Trump posted the AI photo amidst his conflict with Pope Leo XIV, who slammed him over the war with Iran. The pope publicly criticized Trump and warned about the risk of mass destruction linked to the conflict.
Before this, Trump called the pope weak on war in a long Truth Social post. This wasn’t the first time that Trump shared an AI photo of himself. Earlier, Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as a pope and faced criticism.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance defended the president, saying it was a joke, and also praised him for speaking candidly. Vance also asked the Vatican to focus on matters of morality. He said the president likes to mix it up on social media and has a sense of humor. Some critics called Vance a “fake Catholic.” He converted to Catholicism in 2019 and is writing a book about his experience.
