The pastor who spoke to Times Radio did not directly criticize the president for his AI-generated image.
Pastor Mark Burns told Times Radio that the AI image of the president in a white robe, with his palm resting on a sick man’s head, “offends millions of Christians and Catholics all over the world.”
“He is a man who makes mistakes like every man, every Christian,” Burns told Times Radio. He added he requested President Donald Trump take the photo down. “President Trump is not our Saviour, he’s our President.”
The pastor clarified a few times that Trump is a man, “not a spiritual moral authority.”
“Here in America, our president is not the head of the Church,” Burns said.
The AI-generated photo shows Trump in a white robe with a glowing bright light coming out of his hands, as he touches the forehead of a sick man. One woman to the bottom left is seen putting her hands together, a widely recognized gesture of prayer or reverence. The photo was deleted
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On Monday, the president said the image was not tied to religion.
“I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross,” he said. “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better.”
The president added the controversy that the image is tied to religion is because of “fake news.”
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“Only the fake news could come up with that,” he said.
The AI-generated image came shortly after Trump went after Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social and said the Chicago-born pontiff as ““weak on crime.”
Trump’s image sparked backlash, with Christians, politicians and the public outraged that it depicted the president as a religious figure. (Image: @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
“Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise,” Trump wrote on Sunday night. “He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
The pope has been vocal against wars and mass destruction.
After Trump’s lengthy Truth Social post against the pope, Leo said he is not afraid of the Trump administration.
“I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,” he said.
The pastor who spoke to Times Radio did not directly criticise the president for his post. Burns said he was grateful the president listened to the pastor’s concerns and that he removed the image. But, when pressed by Times Radio why the pastor asked to remove the image that “offends millions of Christians and Catholics” if the president said it was him being depicted as a doctor, Burns did not provide a clear answer.
“Trump has a personal relationship with Jesus.” “It wasn’t his intent to portray himself as master Jesus,” the pastor said.
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