“I didn’t say I was Jesus Christ”: Trump clarifies controversial social media post following massive criticism

Speaking to Fox News at the White House on April 13, 2026, President Donald J Trump admitted to making the post but insisted the idea was to convey himself as a "doctor" as opposed to "Jesus Christ".

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support... It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better."

Trump further accused the "fake news media" of being responsible for the misinterpretation of the post.

Although President Trump might have denied intending to appear as Jesus Christ, the manner in which the AI-generated picture represented him, especially the robe, the lighting, and the ambience of him performing a healing on a sick person, can be easily considered the representation of Jesus Christ.

The post drew a massive wave of criticism on social media, with many calling it disrespectful, blasphemous, and in bad taste. The post has been deemed particularly offensive to American Christians, a part of whom form a large voting bloc for the Republicans, and this is perhaps why the President chose to quickly address the issue.

Trump's latest controversy comes amidst his ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV, the Head of the Catholic Church, whom, in a social media post, he berated for being soft on crime. Trump accused the Pope of supporting Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons capacity. He also criticised the Pope, who is an American, for speaking against the capture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.

In the sharp criticism, Trump boasted that Pope Leo was elected to the Papacy because he was the President, while admonishing the Pope to stay out of politics and focus on leading the church.

In response, the Pope, who today arrived in Algeria to begin his 10-day Apostolic visit to Africa, said that he was not afraid of the Trump administration. The Pope, who earlier criticised Trump's threat to "wipe out an entire civilisation" in Iran, stated that the gospel should not be misinterpreted and abused while also insisting on furthering his efforts to foster global peace.

2026 has been a politically charged year for Donald Trump, who, since February, has been locked in a military conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The US and Israel's conflict with Iran has led to economic disruption in the Middle East as oil production in the region has dropped and th close of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off key supply to the rest of the world and led to an increase in crude oil prices.

Last week, the US and Iran entered a temporary ceasefire agreement in Islamabad, Pakistan. The agreement now appears to be in jeopardy as Vice President JD Vance revealed that Iran rejected the US's best offer, thus forcing both nations to leave the negotiation table without an agreement.