Faced with backlash over photo of Pope in uniform, Trump speaks out

Washington [US], May 6: Reuters on May 6 quoted US President Donald Trump trying to calm the backlash against the image of him dressed as the Pope, defending that it was just a harmless joke.
The AI-generated image shows Mr Trump wearing white papal vestments and another shows him holding a red lightsaber often used by villains in Star Wars .
Since returning to the White House on January 20, Mr. Trump has attracted a lot of attention in the media. The above photos of Mr. Trump continue to be a hot topic of discussion.
Speaking to reporters, the leader said the image of him dressed as the pope was posted as a joke on his Truth Social account, then reshared by the White House on social media platforms.
"I had nothing to do with it. It was just someone doing it for fun. It's okay. There has to be some fun, right?", he said.
The White House did not respond to questions about who else besides Trump posted to his Truth Social account, as well as who created the two AI images.
For many Catholics in the United States, Italy and elsewhere, the sight of Mr Trump dressed as the Pope is offensive.
"This is an image that insults people of faith, insults institutions and shows that the global right-wing leader is enjoying the role of a clown," former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi wrote on social network X.
Democratic strategist Michael Ceraso sees the White House's posting of AI-generated images as a deliberate effort to create media buzz.
"He's the first social media president," Ceraso said of Trump, urging Democrats not to get caught up in overblown controversies.
Jennifer Mercieca, a scholar of presidential discourse at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, argues that Trump is trying to project a strong image at a time when his approval ratings are falling.
"Mr. Trump's policies are unpopular, and his presidency is unpopular. In this context, Mr. Trump has created a false image of himself as a hero, in order to convince the nation (and the world) that he really is a hero," she analyzed.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump 's approval rating at 42%, with 53% disapproving, reflecting growing concerns among Americans about his economic and immigration policies. He peaked at 47% early in his term.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper