JD Vance defends Donald Trump as POTUS causes uproar by sharing AI image of himself as pope

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President JD Vance rushed to the defense of Donald Trump after POTUS sparked an uproar by sharing an AI image portraying him as the pope, just days after the death of Pope Francis.

The 78-year-old president took to his Truth Social on Friday, May 2, to share an AI-generated image showing him seated in an ornate chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with a finger raised.

The image, which amassed more than 10,000 likes and 2,700 reshares on Truth Social, was also shared by the White House's official social media account.

Trump’s post came just before international cardinals are scheduled to convene in Vatican City to choose Pope Francis' successor as the leader of the Catholic Church.

JD Vance brushes off Donald Trump’s 'pope' post as a ‘joke’

Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, didn’t waste a second and defended Donald Trump following the backlash, according to News Nation.

“As a general rule, I’m fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen,” Vance, who met Pope Francis just a day before his death, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) while responding to Bill Kristol, editor-at-large at The Bulwark, who asked if he was “fine with this disrespect and mocking of the holy father.”

Notably, Vance’s defense came after New York’s Catholic bishops blasted Trump over the AI image. 

“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us,” the Catholic Bishops of New York State wrote in a post on X.

Resharing NY Bishops’ post, Rep Ted Lieu (D-California) also ripped into Trump, saying, “As a Catholic, I take great offense to Donald Trump mocking Catholics.”

“I wish Trump would focus on lowering prices instead. The American economy had negative GDP growth last quarter. That’s what he should be focused on instead of making fun of Catholics,” he further added.

Apart from Vance, few other Republicans came out in Trump’s defense, including Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who backed the president, saying, “Seeing is believing! A picture is worth a thousand words.”

“Glad to report there is a very positive reception and strong momentum for President Trump to be the next Pope. But I will be the first to admit there has been some resistance,” Graham wrote in a post on X.

“Must keep your head down and plow forward — can’t let the naysayers win the day,” he continued, adding “Next week is crucial as the papal conclave convenes…. More updates to come!”

Donald Trump shares AI photo of himself as pope

Interestingly, Donald Trump, earlier this week, joked about succeeding Pope Francis following his death at the age of 88. "I'd like to be pope. That would be my number 1 choice," he told reporters outside the White House on April 30.

However, he immediately backtracked and said he actually had no preference, adding, "I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good, so we'll see what happens."

Trump was referring to Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York.  Although the United States has never had a pope, Francis was the first from the Americas.

Pope Francis, a vocal Trump critic, died of a stroke that ultimately led to irreversible heart failure, according to a death certificate issued by the Vatican.

Among the dignitaries who attended Pope Francis' funeral last week were Trump and his wife Melania Trump. At the funeral, the president again raised eyebrows when he broke the dress code and wore a navy suit with a matching tie.