Context:

President Trump distanced himself from an AI-generated image depicting him as the pope, claiming no involvement with its creation or distribution on his social media accounts. He downplayed the criticism from Catholics, suggesting that those offended cannot take a joke, while his wife Melania found the image amusing. The image, shared on both the White House's and Trump's social media accounts, was criticized by some Catholic leaders who deemed it offensive, especially given the recent death of Pope Francis. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan expressed hope that Trump was not involved in the creation of the image, which he described as making a bad impression. Trump's vice president, JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism, responded to the controversy by stating he is comfortable with people telling jokes, indicating a more lenient stance on the matter.

Dive Deeper:

• President Trump claimed he had no involvement with an AI-generated image showing him as the pope, which appeared on his and the White House's social media accounts, despite its widespread circulation.

• In response to criticism from Catholics, Trump attempted to downplay the issue by suggesting that those offended by the image are unable to take a joke, while simultaneously attributing the image's creation to artificial intelligence.

• The image has sparked controversy among Catholics, with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan expressing his hope that Trump was not responsible for the image, which he described as leaving a negative impression amid the mourning of Pope Francis.

• Melania Trump, a Roman Catholic, reportedly found the image of her husband in papal attire endearing, adding a personal dimension to the public reaction.

• Some Catholic leaders in the U.S. criticized the image as potentially mocking their faith, emphasizing that it is inappropriate to ridicule or mock the papacy, reflecting broader concerns over religious sensitivity.

• Trump, who garnered support from Catholic voters in previous campaigns, has a vice president, JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism and has openly discussed the influence of his faith on his political views.

• JD Vance addressed the controversy by expressing his acceptance of jokes, suggesting a more tolerant perspective towards the humorous interpretation of the image.