Topline
A Republican lawmaker on Friday referred to President Donald Trump as ‘almost a second coming’ of Christ as the Trump administration finds itself embroiled in religious scandal amid an ongoing feud with the pope and the posting of AI generated photos that have been slammed as “blasphemous.”
President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prays on Oct. 22, 2024.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), who has been hailed by Trump as a “reliable MAGA ally,” on Thursday told reporters that he thinks Trump “is better than sliced bread,” adding, “I think he’s almost a second coming, in my humble opinion.”
Earlier this week Trump shared an AI-generated photo of himself being embraced by Jesus alongside a caption, written by another account, that said “with all these satanic , demonic , child sacrificing monsters being exposed … that God might be playing his Trump card !”
Nehls went on to say Trump has “the toughest job in the world,” specifically comparing his to the “tough job” of that of Pope Leo XIV.Trump and Pope Leo have been feuding, since the religious leader called Trump’s Easter Day threats against the Iranian people “unacceptable” and called for peace.
The president then attacked the pope in a lengthy Truth Social post before uploading a since-deleted photo of himself depicted as Jesus Christ and descending from the heavens to heal a sick man.
Both moves angered factions of Trump’s conservative Christian base, including some GOP lawmakers—Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn) called the attacks on the pope “an affront to the faithful” and Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) said the photo was offensive to people of “any religion.”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday shared this image of himself embracing Jesus.
Truth Social, @realDonaldTrump
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What Exactly Have The Pope And Trump Said About Each Other?
Trump started making a series of threats against the Iranian people online on Easter Sunday, and the following Monday threatened “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the country’s leaders did not comply. Pope Leo that day called the threats “unacceptable” and said the war raised a “moral question.” The next day, the pope responded to news of the ceasefire by urging people to “accompany this moment of delicate diplomacy with prayer” and, on April 10, seemed to reference Trump in a social media post in which he said disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.” On April 11, as U.S. and Iranian leaders met for peace talks, he said, “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life.” The next day, Trump posted his lengthy attack calling Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” and said he was “catering to the Radical Left” with his calls for peace. The pope responded by saying he has ” no fear of the Trump administration.” Vice President JD Vance, a converted Catholic, then jumped in to say it’s “very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” Leo then said the world is “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants” and warned against those who “manipulate religion… for their own military, economic and political gain.” When asked by reporters if he would meet with Leo to “even out your differences,” Trump on Thursday said, “I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Key Background
Amid trading barbs with the pope, on Orthodox Easter Trump posted an AI image that showed him descending from the heavens while wearing a long white robe with a red shawl, and holding an orb of light with his other hand on the forehead of a sick man. The photo depicting himself as Jesus was slammed by conservatives, religious leaders and politicians, who largely called it blasphemous and deeply offensive. Trump later deleted the photo and said he’d thought it depicted him as a doctor. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better and I do make people better,” he said.
Tangent
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seemingly inadvertently quoted a violent prayer from the move “Pulp Fiction” this week in the context of the Iran War. Hegseth, who has been posting controversial Christian worship services at the Pentagon, on Wednesday quoted a prayer he said is called “CSAR 2517” that was almost a word-for-word quoting of a violent monologue delivered by actor Samuel L. Jackson in “Pulp Fiction” before the character kills someone. Hegseth said the prayer borrowed wording from Bible verse Ezekiel 25:17, but failed to mention its relevance to the Quentin Tarantino cult classic. (Here’s exactly what he said).
Further Reading
MORE FROM FORBESTrump Posts AI Photo With Jesus—Days After He Was Slammed For ‘Blasphemy’By Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
MORE FROM FORBESTrump Removes Image Of Himself As Jesus After OutrageBy Zachary Folk
MORE FROM FORBESPete Hegseth Quotes Violent Prayer From ‘Pulp Fiction,’ References BibleBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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