Donald Trump was forced to defend a controversial social media post during a live Fox News segment in Washington after a reporter pressed the US president on why he had shared an image many viewers took to portray him as Jesus Christ. Asked directly about the picture, Trump, 79, insisted it showed him as a doctor, not a religious figure, even as users online branded him 'deranged' and 'worse than Joe Biden.'
The exchange followed several days of growing unease over Trump's recent Truth Social activity, which has included attacks on the Pope and a run of AI-generated religious-style images. The Irish Star reported that the Fox News broadcast cut to a live message from the president, where he was questioned about the now-deleted graphic and his increasingly combative rhetoric. For viewers already unsettled by his age and public slips, the moment fed directly into a comparison with Joe Biden, the predecessor Trump has spent years mocking for gaffes of his own.
Trump's 'Doctor' Defence Fuels Backlash
During the segment, a journalist put the question plainly: 'Did you post that picture of yourself, depicted as Jesus Christ?' Trump did not deny sharing it, but he rejected that interpretation.
'Well, it wasn't depicted. It was me,' he said. 'I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with red crosses because of the Red Cross work that we support. Only the fake news could come up with that one.'
Deranged. Disturbing. pic.twitter.com/8mteIO75mh
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) April 13, 2026
He then pushed the point further. 'It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people. I make people a lot better,' he added.
The image showed Trump in religious-style robes with his hand raised above another person's head in a pose many viewers read as overtly Christ-like. The president appears to have deleted the post after the backlash began.
Online reaction was swift. One user sharing the Fox clip wrote: 'Deranged. Disturbing.' Another said Trump looked like 'a doctor going to a fancy dress party as Jesus.'
More politically charged replies went further. 'That's delusional. Trump is literally worse than Joe Biden,' one person wrote. Another added: 'Trump is worse than Biden. I can't believe how bad his presidency has been. Regret my vote.'
Those reactions are anecdotal rather than representative, and they do not amount to polling or verified voter data. Even so, they capture a line of criticism Trump normally directs at his rivals, not one aimed back at him.
AI Images and the Pope Row
The row over the 'Jesus doctor' picture did not emerge in isolation. It came after a string of posts in which Trump appeared to move deeper into religious imagery and sharper confrontation with the Catholic hierarchy.
Shortly before the image circulated, Trump had launched what the Irish Star described as an 'unprecedented attack' on Pope Leo on Truth Social, calling the pontiff 'Weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.' He then added: 'I like his brother Louis much better.' The report does not explain who 'Louis' referred to or whether Trump meant it as a joke.
Donald Trump’s long post on Pope Leo. pic.twitter.com/gVDHDTdgXd
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) April 13, 2026
Despite criticism from Christians, Trump then shared another AI-generated image. This one showed him embracing Jesus and was paired with a caption steeped in culture war language.
'The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT,' the caption read.
The White House did not issue any formal clarification or apology in the reporting cited, and there is no indication Trump responded directly to criticism from faith leaders.
Worse Than Biden or Familiar Trump Chaos?
The Fox News exchange is the latest in a series of episodes in which Trump has blended political messaging with religious iconography. He has rarely retreated once accused of going too far on either front, and the deleted post appears to follow that pattern.
The White House has not indicated whether further AI-generated images will be removed or whether the president's Truth Social posting habits will change. The image has been deleted. No apology has been issued.
