Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope ahead of the papal conclave
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Introduction:
The news topic “Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope ahead of the papal conclave” has drawn international attention, with various media outlets providing diverse insights, historical context, political stances, and on-the-ground developments. Below is a curated overview of how different countries and media organizations have covered this topic recently.
Quick Summary:
- US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope on Friday. The digitally doctored image was then reshared by the White House on its official X account. It came less than a week after Trump, who is himself not a Catholic, attended Francis’s funeral last month. An official period of mourning for the pope is still being observed by the Vatican. The image has drawn criticism, including from cardinals who are in Rome for conclave next week. The conclave to elect the next pope is due to begin next week in the Vatican’scathedral of St. Peter’s in the city’s Piazza del Popolo. The Vatican has declined to comment on the matter. It is unclear whether the image is a serious distraction from the task of choosing the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
- The image was shared on Trump’s Truth Social and reposted by the White House. Italians, many of whom hold the papacy sacred, called it tasteless. One former prime minister slammed it as “shameful clowning.” Trump, meanwhile, seemed unfazed. He leaned into the bit: “Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!” But in a tradition built on humility and secrecy, Trump’s antics may have backfired.
- President Donald Trump says he does not think military force will be needed to make Canada the “51st state’ Trump also played down the possibility he would look to run for a third term in the White House. The comments came in a wide-ranging, and at moments combative, interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” The Republican president’s efforts to quickly enact his agenda face sharper headwinds with Americans just as his second administration crossed the 100-day mark, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. He made clear that he is not backing away from a to-do list that he insists the American electorate broadly supported when they elected him in November. The interview was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday on NBC.
Country-by-Country Breakdown:
Original Coverage
US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope on Friday. The digitally doctored image was then reshared by the White House on its official X account. It came less than a week after Trump, who is himself not a Catholic, attended Francis’s funeral last month. An official period of mourning for the pope is still being observed by the Vatican. The image has drawn criticism, including from cardinals who are in Rome for conclave next week. The conclave to elect the next pope is due to begin next week in the Vatican’scathedral of St. Peter’s in the city’s Piazza del Popolo. The Vatican has declined to comment on the matter. It is unclear whether the image is a serious distraction from the task of choosing the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. Read full article
Trump Slammed For Posting AI Image Of Himself As Pope Ahead Of Conclave
The image was shared on Trump’s Truth Social and reposted by the White House. Italians, many of whom hold the papacy sacred, called it tasteless. One former prime minister slammed it as “shameful clowning.” Trump, meanwhile, seemed unfazed. He leaned into the bit: “Watching for white smoke… Trump MMXXVIII!” But in a tradition built on humility and secrecy, Trump’s antics may have backfired. Read full article
Trump, in new interview, says he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights
President Donald Trump says he does not think military force will be needed to make Canada the “51st state’ Trump also played down the possibility he would look to run for a third term in the White House. The comments came in a wide-ranging, and at moments combative, interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” The Republican president’s efforts to quickly enact his agenda face sharper headwinds with Americans just as his second administration crossed the 100-day mark, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. He made clear that he is not backing away from a to-do list that he insists the American electorate broadly supported when they elected him in November. The interview was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday on NBC. Read full article
Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope
The image was posted on the White House’s official Twitter account. It comes as the period of official mourning for Pope Francis continues. The conclave to elect his successor is set to begin on Wednesday. The image has been criticized by some as being in poor taste and disrespectful to the pope. The White House says the image was taken from a video posted on YouTube by a fan of the president. The video has since been removed from the site and replaced with an image of the President of the U.S. with the words “Donald Trump” in the middle of the video. It has also been replaced with a picture of a man in a white cassock with a white hat. The photo was taken at a church in New York City, where the event took place. The event was held in honor of the late Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Read full article
Global Perspectives Summary:
Global media portray this story through varied cultural, economic, and political filters. While some focus on geopolitical ramifications, others highlight local impacts and human stories. Some nations frame the story around diplomatic tensions and international relations, while others examine domestic implications, public sentiment, or humanitarian concerns. This diversity of coverage reflects how national perspectives, media freedom, and journalistic priorities influence what the public learns about global events.
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Sources:
- Original Article
- Trump Slammed For Posting AI Image Of Himself As Pope Ahead Of Conclave
- Trump, in new interview, says he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights
- Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/04/world/trump-ai-image-pope-intl-hnk