Donald Trump says AI Pope pic was 'fun': 'Melania thought it was cute'

US President Donald Trump distanced himself from an AI-generated image showing him as the pope, calling it "harmless fun"; image drew backlash from Catholic leaders and international critics

US President Donald Trump has downplayed the controversy surrounding an AI-generated image that portrayed him dressed as the pope. Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said he had nothing to do with the creation of the image and suggested it was made “for fun” by someone else. 

“Somebody made up a picture of me dressed like the pope, and they put it out on the internet. That’s not me that did it. I have no idea where it came from. Maybe it was AI, but I know nothing about it. I just saw it last evening,” he said. 

 

Trump said Catholics largely appreciated the image and suggested only the media found it problematic. “Only fake news media had a problem with it,” he added.

 

Melania found the image ‘cute’

Trump also shared that his wife, Melania Trump, found the AI-generated picture amusing. “Actually, my wife thought it was cute. She said, ‘Isn’t that nice?’” Trump said, before joking that if he were actually the pope, he wouldn’t have a wife.

When asked why the official White House X account posted the image, Trump brushed off the query. “Give me a break,” he said. “Somebody did it for fun.”

 

pic.twitter.com/x2HrR939tn

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 3, 2025

Criticism from leaders and politicians

Despite Trump's remarks, the AI image sparked criticism among both Catholic leaders and political figures. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York — whom Trump previously suggested could be the next pope — reportedly disapproved of the image, calling it inappropriate. 

In Italy, the backlash was even stronger. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called the image disrespectful to the Catholic faith. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” he wrote on X. 

Italian newspaper La Repubblica described the post as “infantile” and accused Trump of displaying “pathological megalomania”. 

 

Meloni’s office is silent, Trump camp responds

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office, despite her known alliance with Trump, declines to comment on the issue. 

Meanwhile, Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, defended the President's record with religious communities. “President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty,” she said.