On Palm Sunday, Pope Leo XIV quoted Isaiah 1:15,

When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

and probably meant Pete Hegseth who had prayed for “overwhelming violence” at the Pentagon “against those who do not deserve mercy.” That did not go well with Donald Trump.

But then, Trump dared to post, on his infamous platform (called, in Orwellian Newspeak, TruthSocial), an AI generated picture of him as the Savior, offending Catholics all over the world. After strong criticism of even allies he removed that picture later. Stupid is as stupid does.

Trump is not particularly knowledgeable about religious matters. Before Robert Francis Prevost was elected, by the College of Cardinals on May 9, 2025, and the new Holy Father had chosen the name Leo, Trump posted on TS an AI generated picture of himself as Pope.

But instead of blessing (the viewer?) with his right index and middle fingers crossed, Trump erects his index finger in a way Muslim extremists would do, the so-called Tawhid, or oneness of God/Allah. Didn’t he know? Next, Trump may want to become Ayatollah? Or rather Grand Ayatollah?

It is generally noticed, with some deprecation, that the honorific title for Shi’ites is spelled, by Western commenters, Aya tolla, not knowing that it actually means, āyatu llāh, or Ayat Allah, sign of God. Something, Donald Trump would easily accept.

In his feud with Pope Leo, Trump claimed that, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” Well, according to strong beliefs of Catholics, it is the Holy Ghost/Spirit who guides and inspires the cardinals in a conclave.

And, not to forget, maybe the late Pope Francis would have survived if Trump’s Vice President, J. D. Vance, had not visited him. Francis died the day later.

All of this is blasphemous (Trump as Jesus-like figure, Trump as Pope, Trump who decided who became Pope), of course.

15 April 2026 @ 13:16 UTC+2.

Last modified April 15, 2026.