Trump says ‘Jesus Christ’ would’ve helped him win California as he calls state elections ‘rigged’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Wednesday, May 20, after claiming he would have won California if “Jesus Christ came down and counted the votes,” while once again insisting the state’s elections are “rigged.”

Trump made the comments while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing to deliver a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut.

During the exchange, the president criticized California’s mail-in ballot system and questioned the integrity of elections in the state.

Donald Trump claims California elections are ‘dishonest’

While answering reporters’ questions, Trump launched into another criticism of California’s voting system and argued that mail-in ballots make elections unfair.

“You have a rigged vote out there, that's the problem,” Trump said. “The votes are rigged. You have a really rigged vote in California.”

“You have all the mail-in ballots, everything else. Very hard to win because the elections are very dishonest,” he added.

Trump then escalated his comments by bringing religion into the conversation and claiming he would have won California under different circumstances.

“If we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would have won California, because I do great with Hispanics,” Trump said.

The president also suggested he may eventually create a ranking of what he described as “dishonest states,” adding that California would be near the top of the list.

“California is one of the most dishonest states,” Trump claimed.

Donald Trump’s recent religious imagery draws attention

Trump’s California comments arrived amid several recent incidents where the president publicly invoked religious symbolism and references to Jesus.

Last month, Trump reportedly shared and later deleted an AI-generated image portraying himself wearing a robe while appearing to heal a man using divine powers.

When reporters later questioned him about the image, Trump dismissed the controversy and said it was “supposed to be me as a doctor making people better.”

On Wednesday, Trump reportedly shared another AI-generated image showing Jesus hugging him.

The image reportedly carried the caption: “The Radical Left Lunatic might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!”

Donald Trump’s growing clashes with Pope Leo add fuel to religion controversy

The president has also recently clashed with Pope Leo over comments connected to the war involving Iran.

During a Palm Sunday address, the pope said God “rejects” prayers from people who wage war and criticized leaders who invoke faith while supporting conflict.

Trump later fired back by calling Pope Leo “very liberal” and accusing him of being “WEAK on Crime,” while urging the pontiff to “stop catering to the Radical Left.”