Trump sparks backlash with social media post.

US president Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as pope on his Truth Social platform on Friday night, sparking an instant backlash online.

The White House shared the image on its official X account, generating a barrage of complaints from social media users who found the post offensive, disrespectful, insensitive, inappropriate, embarrassing and unfunny. Others found it humorous.

Trump posted the controversial image a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican and just days ahead of a papal conclave to elect a new pontiff.

pic.twitter.com/x2HrR939tn— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 3, 2025

The viral post came after Trump was asked by a reporter earlier this week for his thoughts on who the next pope might be.

"I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice", Trump joked, before stating that New York has a "very good" candidate, in an apparent reference to Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Subsequently, US Republican senator Lindsey Graham faced criticism on social media after he enthusiastically endorsed the president's bid to become pope, describing him as "a dark horse candidate".

The conclave will begin on 7 May when 133 cardinal-electors will convene in the Sistine Chapel for the secretive process to elect the 267th pope and leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.