During a recent episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan took aim at President Donald Trump’s assertion that an AI-generated image he shared was meant to portray him as a doctor, not as Jesus. The image, which Trump posted on Truth Social, depicted him in flowing robes, extending his hands to heal a sick man, with radiant beams of light emanating from his palms.
After facing widespread criticism from various political factions, Trump removed the post, claiming he believed it represented him in a medical capacity. This incident sparked a lively discussion on Rogan's show, where he was joined by former Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf.
“AI god has to come alive and take over the system,” Rogan quipped, referencing the controversial meme. “AI god, the one that created that Jesus meme that Trump just posted.”
Stumpf responded with sarcasm, “Joe, I told you, he explained it. He was a doctor.” This remark elicited laughter from Rogan, who has publicly supported Trump for the 2024 election but has also voiced criticism regarding various issues, including the ongoing conflict in Iran.
“That’s what they called him. That’s what AI god calls Jesus,” Rogan retorted. “Jesus is a doctor.” The conversation then shifted to other subjects, but the humorous exchange highlighted the absurdity of the situation.
Trump, at 79 years old, uploaded the AI image on Sunday, shortly after launching a scathing critique of Pope Leo, whom he labeled “WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy.” The backlash was swift, with many commentators pointing out the image's resemblance to the Christian figure and condemning Trump’s actions as blasphemous.
“On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump’s war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus,” former Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed on X. “I completely denounce this and I’m praying against it!!!”
Senator Bernie Sanders also weighed in, stating on X, “This is not only offensive; it is deranged, egomaniacal behavior.”
By Monday morning, Trump had deleted the post from his Truth Social account. Later that day, while speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, he confirmed his authorship of the image and defended his choice to share it.
“I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor,” Trump explained. “You know, as a little fun playing the doctor and making people better. So that’s what it was viewed as. That’s what most people thought.”
He added that he removed the image to avoid any confusion but attributed the uproar to “fake news” stirring controversy around his post.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, an Evangelical Christian, expressed support for Trump’s decision. “I talked to the president and told him I don’t think it was being received in the same way he intended it, and he agreed,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill. “I don’t think he thought it was sacrilegious at all.”
