Donald Trump’s recent social media post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, combined with his public feud with Pope Leo XIV, may have crossed a line for some Christian supporters, potentially impacting Republican prospects in the midterm elections, experts say.
The AI-generated image, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, showed him administering a healing light to a stricken man, which Trump later described as representing him as a doctor. The post drew immediate backlash from Christian figures, including Douglas Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist, who called it “blasphemous,” and Sean Feucht, a Christian activist, who demanded its deletion. The post was eventually removed, but Trump followed it with another AI image of Jesus cuddling him.
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor at Calvin University and expert on white American evangelicals, noted that while Trump’s supporters have tolerated many controversies, this image felt “so blatant” that it provoked outcry. However, she doubted it would lead to a withdrawal of support, as Christian leaders may have felt compelled to condemn it performatively without changing their allegiance.
Robert Jones, president of the Public Religion Research Institute, suggested Trump’s base among white evangelicals and Christian nationalists would likely remain intact, driven by conservative and racial motivations. He noted that white Catholics, who voted heavily for Trump in 2024, could be more influential in swing states and may be swayed by the pope feud.
Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo, whom he called “wrong on the issues” and “weak on crime,” have been backed by some white evangelicals but could alienate Catholic voters in competitive districts. With white Catholics overrepresented in several swing states, their support could be crucial in the midterms.
