US Vice President JD Vance addressed criticism surrounding an AI-generated image shared—and later deleted—by President Donald Trump, which many interpreted as depicting Trump in a Christ-like role.
The image sparked backlash across the political spectrum, including from some of Trump’s supporters, after it appeared to show him placing a hand on a bedridden man’s head amid patriotic imagery.
Vance calls it a ‘joke’
Vance dismissed the controversy, saying the post was intended as humor.
“The president was posting a joke, and of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case,” Vance told Fox News.
He added that Trump’s unfiltered style is part of his appeal.
“The President of the United States likes to mix it up on social media… that’s one of the good things about this president—that he is not filtered.”
Trump’s social media style defended
Vance argued that Trump’s direct communication with the public sets him apart.
“He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional. He actually reaches out directly to the people,” Vance was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
The vice president, a Roman Catholic convert, also suggested Trump removed the post after recognising the backlash.
Trump rejects religious interpretation
Trump on Tuesday (April 14) denied that the image had any religious connotation, pushing back against claims that it portrayed him as Jesus.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Trump said earlier, defending the post.
He insisted the image was meant to depict him as a doctor.
“I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,” he told reporters.
“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better… I make people a lot better.”
Trump also dismissed criticism as media-driven.
“Only the fake news could come up with” the religious interpretation, he added.
Clash with the Vatican
The controversy comes amid an ongoing public dispute between Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran.
Trump has criticised the pontiff, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible” on foreign policy after the Pope opposed the conflict.
The image controversy further intensified tensions, adding a cultural and religious dimension to the geopolitical dispute.
