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Trump Posts Blasphemous Image then Deletes it

Trump Posts Blasphemous Image then Deletes it

Last updated on: April 16, 2026 at 11:56 pm by Adrian Warnock

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Trump Posts Blasphemous Image then Deletes it 2026-04-16T23:56:09+01:00 Adrian Warnock

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This is the most blasphemous content I have seen from any source in recent years.

Earlier today Donald Trump posted this image which many viewers interpret as him depicted as Jesus Christ. When asked about it by reporters he said,

“It wasn’t depicting. It was me. I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross, there’s a Red Cross worker there which we support. Only the fake news could come up with that one. I just heard about it and I said, ‘How did they come up with that?’ It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

This text is taken from a video of him speaking, which was shared in a BBC report covering the backlash to this image and reporting that Trump had deleted it.

Before we go on here is the image, included for fair use commentary purposes:

First of all, I believe that Trump’s reply to reporters is disingenuous, and simply does not reflect the truth that is obvious to viewers of the image. It has a deceptive effect, whether that is deliberate or not. He wasn’t simply reposting someone else’s image as there is no credit, although some have suggested this was first seen on Nick Adams’ Twitter in February though it’s not there now. It is unclear at this point how Trump found it, but the choices are either that he found it somewhere and didn’t credit it or that he actually asked AI to create it. This is a worrying thought in itself regarding his state of mind. If you are the president of the United States what does a grandiose thought look like? Well I suppose that the only way to feel more important than you already are is to start thinking you are Jesus Christ. Is that what is in his mind at the moment? Is he mentally unstable?

Whatever prompt was used it is clear that this image DOES use religious imagery, mixed with imagery of the state. The clear implication to any open-minded viewer is that, despite his denials, this image is depicting Trump as Jesus. He is not working as a doctor. He is laying his hand on a sick person’s head. His clothing, and the light are both strongly symbolic of Christ. The implication is to me also that the person praying is praying to Trump. Worryingly the religious imagery is also mixed with military images, especially at a time when he has started a conflict with an Islamic nation. This suggests strongly the idea of a religious war with him as the same kind of messing the oppressed Jews of the Roman era wanted, to conduct some kind of crusade. The contrast between this and Jesus withdrawal away when people tried to make him King seen in John 6:15 is striking.

At the top of the image are some more religious figures including one with three horns, which the Daily Mail reports some have linked to the Antichrist.

Trump’s blame of “fake media” for the backlash does not seem correct, either. Like many of his documented mistruths, it seems that the hope is those who have not seen the image will believe his denials rather than their own eyes.

And finally, I know many American Christians won’t like this one, but Trump’s policies have hardly been in favor of healing at the hands of human doctors. He has constantly been against Obamacare and other attempts to improve the quality of American healthcare for those whose financial resources are limited. In addition, healthcare-based foreign aid has been slashed. It seems cruel to describe Trump as a healer even in a medical sense.

Some Christians may say that this latest act, like all the others before it, should just be forgiven and we should recognize him as flawed but a vessel of God serving Him and doing His will. Well, this is not a suitable confession of his error to allow that response, in my view.

This blasphemous content is hardly a new departure for Trump. We have recently had him issuing a strong condemnation of the current Pope, claiming among other things that the Catholic Church only chose him because of Trump. He stated he didn’t want a Pope like this, which clearly suggests he believes that he should have a role in choosing them! This would be highly offensive to those who believe that the Pope is chosen by God.

He also made what was, on the face of it, a genocidal threat, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

That of course came just a few days after his threats to commit what most would agree was a war crime (the destruction of civilian bridges and power plants across Iran) and included a sarcastic “Praise be to Allah” insulting every muslim and offending most Christians, posting this on Easter Sunday, the most holy of Christian days.

The BBC said there has been a backlash against this blasphemous image. I thought I would see which major Christian websites have criticized this or other recent Trump posts. Now I get that many bigger websites can’t respond quickly, and I get that nobody can comment on everything. I myself did not comment on the earlier offensive tweets of the last week or so. But many USA Christians have been his avid supporters so one might like to hope that some would speak out against this latest image.

READ MORE FROM OTHERS

Patheos: The Catholic channel has covered the attack on Pope Leo.

“If you are tempted to defend the image, ask yourself what you would think of any other world leader who posted an identical image of himself, but with his face instead of Trump’s . . . I consider the image blasphemous, hideous, frightening. And I cannot understand why any sincere Christian would disagree.” Roger Olson

Trump Attacks Pope Leo in a Deranged Rant

Desiring God: Piper posted in 2017 about how to live under a “morally unqualified” president.

Franklin Graham: “When I looked at the illustration, I didn’t jump to the same conclusion as some. There were no spiritual references—no halo, there were no crosses, no angels. It was a flag, soldiers, a nurse, fighter planes, eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and I think this is a lot to do about nothing. There is so much ill-intended speculation. I think his enemies are always foaming at the mouth at any possible opportunity to make him look bad.” Read the rest and my reaction.

Premier Christianity: “The posting of the blasphemous image of the President implies that the idea that America is the self-appointed fist of God in this “apocalyptic” war has evolved – into Trump’s own imagination that he himself is the Christ at the center of it all.” Lois McLatchie Miller

Christianity Today: “It’s sacrilege, plain and simple. It’s blasphemy. I don’t say that because I’m “offended,” in Rivera’s term. My feelings aren’t really relevant here. I say it because I have functioning eyes, and I can see what this image is intended to convey.” Bonnie Kristian, staff editor.

Religious News Service: Reported criticism from some of Trump’s religious supporters:

“This should be deleted immediately. There’s no context where this is acceptable.” Feucht
“I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy. But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.” Megan Basham

Independent: “President Donald Trump’s war of words with Pope Leo XIV and his subsequent posting of an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ have sparked a rift among Republicans in the Senate,” Eric Garcia

““I found the president’s comments to be offensive and inexplicable. He should not be treating the pope as a political rival.” Republican Senator Susan Collins

The News Agents: “‘The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.’ Pope Leo doesn’t mention Donald Trump there, but given the week of sulphurous exchanges between the Vatican and the White House, it’s hard to believe he’s not in the crosshairs . . . we are not taking a leap to say that is directly aimed at Trump and at his administration.” Listen to their 16 April 2026 episode.

You can’t trust your eyes, your ears or The Traitor Within

The Trump Cult is a False Religion Infiltrating the Church

Is Trump Fueling the End-Times Rebellion of the Church?

Trump’s Angry Rhetoric vs. Christian Values: It’s not Normal

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About Adrian Warnock

Adrian Warnock

Medical doctor · Published author · Patheos writer since 2003

I have always lived within sixty miles of London, UK where I studied, worked and worshipped for thirty years. I began writing for this Patheos blog in April 2003, making it one of the longest-running individual columns on the Christian Internet. My writing here, on Substack, and in my books is influenced by my medical training, eight years of working as a psychiatrist in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), eighteen years working in medical research in the pharmaceutical industry, twenty-five years of serving as a pastoral leader in a growing multicultural church, and a difficult decade of lived experience with chronic illness, including blood cancer, and the unexpected losses, including early retirement, that resulted.

Together, these all shape a biopsychosocial-spiritual approach which I first wrote about on Patheos in 2013. This model offers us hope, compassion, and healing in all life’s challenges. This holistic approach is based on the idea that all truth is God’s truth.

At times, since my illness, my faith has been faint. I wondered if this was the end of my story. I was not strong enough to live for Jesus the way I wanted to. I could not change myself. And then hope reminded me: The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Just not all at once. Healing takes time. Compassion and patience sustain us over a lifetime of change. I aim to approach suffering with hope and compassion, and address tough questions including:

What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you?

Raised With Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything (Crossway, 2010; 2nd edition, Amazon, 2025)
Why is change so difficult? What causes the resistance?

The Traitor Within: Understanding and Healing Our Deceitful Hearts (Amazon, 2026)
Why is change so slow? How does grace lead us over a lifetime?

Amazing Grace: How Faith Grows in the Human Heart (Amazon, 2026)
How do you become a Christian? Can you know if you really are one?

Hope Reborn: How to Become a Christian and Live for Jesus Co-authored with Tope Koleoso (Christian Focus, 2014)

Qualifications

I qualified with an MB BS from the University of London (equivalent to an MD in the United States), hold postgraduate qualifications in psychiatry (MRCPsych) and pharmaceutical medicine (MFFM, DipPharmMed), and took theological training courses run by Newfrontiers.

Connect With me

Substack: adrianwarnock.substack.com (the best way to ask questions)
Twitter/X: @adrianwarnock
Facebook: Adrian Warnock
Email: [email protected] (I may not be able to respond to every message)

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Trump Posts Blasphemous Image then Deletes it

This is the most blasphemous content I have seen from any source in recent years.

READ MORE FROM OTHERS

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