Even as most Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump's comments related to religion about Pope Leo XIV, more objected to the president's recent artificial intelligence-generated image on social media where he appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ, according to a recent poll.
Nearly 9 in 10 Americans, or 87%, have a negative reaction to the Trump image that he posted, including 69% who express a strongly negative reaction, results from a recent Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll show.
The findings from the wide-ranging poll conducted April 24-28 on Trump's handling of the Iran war, the economy and the cost of living come as the president refueled angst with the pope just before Secretary of StateĀ Marco RubioĀ made his high-stakes visit to the Vatican on Thursday.
The image posted April 12 showed Trump in white and red robes, laying his hand on a sick man's forehead with a light emanating from his other hand, as an American flag waved and a bald eagle flew in the background. Many interpreted it as a Christ-like or messianic depiction.
People are also reading…
AnĀ April 12 post on President Donald Trump's social media account included an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself widely interpreted as Christ-like.
The post sparked widespread backlash,Ā even from some in Trump's Republican Party, and allegations of blasphemy. The post was deleted from the president's account April 13.
"I thought it wasĀ me as aĀ doctor. And it had to do with Red Cross," Trump told reporters at the White House on April 13. "And only the fake news could come up with that oneĀ ā¦ I make people a lot better."
The poll said 80% of those who voted for Trump and 79% of Republicans surveyed had a negative reaction to Trumpās post.
Shortly before the president posted the controversial image, he wroteĀ a lengthy messageĀ on Truth Social criticizing the pope, who has criticized the Iran war, as "Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons."
The pontiff responded that he has "no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel."
Trump then doubled down on April 15, resharing an AI-generated image showing him embraced by Jesus. The post showed Trump with an angelic light and the U.S. flag circling him and the AI Jesus.Ā
"The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! PresidentĀ DJT," Trump wrote in the April 15 post, which had its own caption reading: "I was never a very religious manĀ ā¦ but doesn't it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposedĀ ā¦ that God might be playing his Trump card!"
A person waves a flag that reads "Jesus Saves" during anĀ April 8 protest against military action in Iran near the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll also noted a majority of Americans responded negatively to another controversial Trump post on April 7 about the Iran war that drew widespread condemnation.
The poll said 76% of Americans disapprove of Trumpās post threatening "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran did not make a deal with the U.S., which seemingly suggested the use of nuclear weapons.
Another 53% of Americans polled "strongly" disapproving the post, which also led to extensive scrutiny and debate from fellow politicians, theologians and other experts who study ethics and war.
Most Catholics (75%) and Protestants (70%) polled also had a negative reaction to Trumpās post, along with non-Christians (72%).
Additionally, 69% of Americans disapproved of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praying for U.S. troops to inflict "overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy," the poll found.
Pope Leo XIV walks Wednesday after delivering his speech during a swearing-in ceremony of new Swiss Guards in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.
The Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll found many Americans favored the pontiff. The poll said Pope Leo has a 25-point net favorable margin among Americans overall, with 41% favorable, 16% unfavorable, and 43% saying they have no opinion of the pontiff.
The poll also noted that 66% of Americans have a positive reaction to Pope Leo asking Americans on April 7 to contact Congress to work for peace and reject war, while 57% polled have a negative reaction to Trump's social media post that read, "I donāt want a Pope who thinks itās OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."Ā
Among Catholic Americans, 70% had a positive reaction to Pope Leo asking Americans to contact Congress, and 61% were negative toward Trumpās post about the pope and nuclear weapons.
Overall, among Catholic Americans who saw this feud become the mostĀ contentious relationshipĀ between a secular leader and the papacy dating back to medieval times, the pope's favorability climbed to 61%, the poll found. Just 14% disapprove of history's first American pope, and 25% of those Catholics polled have no opinion.
Meanwhile, Trumpās approval rating dropped to 37%, down from 45% in February 2025, the poll found.
