President Donald Trump defended his decision to post an AI-generated image on Truth Social, claiming it depicted him as a doctor rather than Jesus Christ. The image, which Trump later deleted, showed him in a divine light healing a patient in a hospital bed. Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that he believed the image was meant to represent him as a doctor associated with the Red Cross. 'I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support,' Trump said. He blamed 'fake news' for the backlash, stating, 'I make people a lot better.'
CNN host Dana Bash and senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes criticized Trump's explanation during a segment on Inside Politics. Bash, who is not Christian, stated, 'I’m not Christian, and I see that’s Jesus.' Holmes added, 'Well, let’s also look at the hands. [They] have some kind of healing powers in them.' Bash joked that she didn’t know any doctors with 'healing magical powers.' The discussion also touched on Trump’s ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV, though details were not provided.
The image, which Trump deleted after facing criticism, sparked widespread outrage and debate. Trump’s claim that he thought the image was of a doctor was met with skepticism, as the visual elements strongly suggested a religious depiction. The controversy comes amid Trump’s history of sharing controversial social media posts, including a previous incident where he blamed a White House staffer for a post depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.