US president sparks backlash after sharing AI-generated image as Pope PHOTO

US President Donald Trump has ignited controversy after posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed in papal robes, just days after making light-hearted remarks about his desire to become pope.

The image, which he shared on social media, comes in the wake of Pope Francis’ recent death and has drawn sharp criticism from many users, while others responded with humor, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The image, widely circulated online, features Trump in ornate papal attire, standing in a pose reminiscent of official Vatican portraits. The post follows a recent media interaction in which Trump remarked, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice.”

“I have no preference. I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens,” he added.

Pope Francis passed away last month at the age of 88. A death certificate released by the Vatican last week confirmed the cause of death as a stroke and heart failure. Trump was among the world leaders who attended the funeral.

The timing of the image has intensified backlash, with several social media users accusing Trump of being insensitive and disrespectful to Catholics.

Despite the backlash, the image also attracted humorous reactions from Trump supporters and allies.

By Vafa Guliyeva