President Donald Trump’s decision to post an AI meme of himself as Jesus Christ healing the sick was not made alone, according to a report.
Axios reports that the president consulted with Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a combative Trumpworld figure who was described as an “agent of chaos” by The Financial Times last year.
The outlet writes that it was Pulte who first brought the image to Trump’s attention in Florida over the weekend, citing two advisers close to the president, one of whom commented: “Everyone thought it was a joke.”
A third person denied that Pulte was responsible for showing Trump the meme, muddying the waters somewhat.
But however it originally came to the president’s attention, his decision to post it on Truth Social after rebuking Pope Leo XIV for being “weak” and “catering to the Radical Left” sparked several days of arguments between Catholic members of his administration like JD Vance and Tom Homan and the Vatican and risked a further breach with the devout Christians among his base.
Trump subsequently took the image down, saying it had been misunderstood, only to replace it with another of the Messiah embracing him.
As for Pulte, he was described earlier this year as a “driving force” behind the Department of Justice’s decision to launch a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve, which hit the rocks last month when a judge threw out two subpoenas and ruled it had been launched to “harass and pressure” the central bank’s outgoing chair, Jerome Powell.
Pulte denied involvement in the affair but was described by Bloomberg as “a vocal force within the administration, pushing controversial housing policy ideas and investigating Trump’s foes for mortgage fraud.”
The FHFA director, normally expected to do nothing more exciting than ensure the underlying soundness of the mortgage market, has instead “transformed the position into a megaphone to denigrate Trump’s perceived political foes,” according to the Associated Press.
Last year, he accused New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Sen. Adam Schiff and Fed governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud, all of whom denied wrongdoing. None of their cases is moving forward.
Pulte’s reputation for stirring the pot almost led to violence in September, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent came to believe the official had been badmouthing him to the president and, in a rage, confronted him.
“Why the f*** are you talking to the president about me?” Bessent reportedly asked Pulte. “F*** you. I’m gonna punch you in your f***ing face.”
Asked to leave the event they were attending, the hot-headed secretary is said to have invited Pulte “outside,” with the latter asking if they could talk over their differences.
“No,” Bessent answered. “I’m going to f***ing beat your ass.”
The AP further reported last year that, prior to joining the Trump administration, Pulte began cultivating the dark arts by “practicing on his own family,” with whom he has publicly feuded over his late grandfather’s property business, PulteGroup.
Pulte was described in court records as having accused his grandfather’s widow of insider trading, trashed his aunt online as a “phony Catholic” and called a step-aunt “a fat slob,” “weirdo” and “grifter.”
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