Donald Trump hit with extreme backlash after posting ‘blasphemous’ meme about the Pope

People are very upset with Donald Trump after he shared a photo online that many think is extremely rude, especially toward the Catholic Church. The timing made it worse — he posted it just one week after Pope Francis was laid to rest. The Pope died on April 21 at the age of 88, and a large crowd, including Trump and his wife Melania, went to Vatican City on April 26 to honor him. Many world leaders were there to show respect.

But instead of acting respectfully, Trump made headlines again — not in a good way. People were already commenting on what he wore and some of the things he said during the event. But what really shocked people came afterward, when he posted a picture on Instagram of himself dressed as the Pope.

The image was made using AI. It shows Trump wearing the traditional white robe that popes wear, a tall hat called a mitre, and a cross necklace. He’s sitting on a fancy gold chair and holding one finger in the air, as if giving a blessing. He looked like he was trying to be the new pope.

The internet exploded with criticism. Many people said it was insulting and inappropriate. One person wrote that while they didn’t expect much from Trump, this post was worse than they thought possible. Another person said it wasn’t funny at all, and that as the former president, Trump should show more class. They said the post made a joke out of something many people take very seriously. They pointed out that Trump isn’t even Catholic, so dressing up like the pope just felt wrong.

A third person, who actually supported Trump’s time as president, still said this post crossed the line. They called it “blasphemous,” which means deeply offensive to religious people. They told him he was better than that and should know when a joke goes too far.

This came after Trump made a joke earlier about wanting to be the next pope. When reporters asked him who he thought should follow Pope Francis, Trump joked, “I’d like to be pope — that’d be my number one choice.”

People online quickly responded. Some joked about him being a “convicted pope,” referring to his legal troubles. Others made fun of how he always brags, saying he’d probably claim to be the best pope in history. A few people joked that if he didn’t get chosen by the Vatican, he’d accuse them of cheating, like he did with elections.

The post didn’t just make people laugh or roll their eyes — it genuinely hurt and offended many, especially those who respect the Catholic faith. Even people who usually support Trump said this time, he went too far. The mix of religion, politics, and AI-created images turned what may have been meant as a joke into something that felt very disrespectful to millions of people.