Pete Buttigieg Calls Out Trump's 'AI Jesus' Post as an 'Insult' to Faith

During a town hall event in Tulsa, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confronted Donald Trump over an AI-generated image that portrayed the former president as a Jesus-like figure on his Truth Social platform.

Buttigieg, addressing an audience of Christians who often equate conservatism with their faith, remarked, “If you’ve witnessed the political landscape shift in recent years, seeing the president mock your beliefs by presenting himself as the risen Lord should provoke a response.” His words resonated with the crowd, eliciting applause.

He added, “After belittling your faith with that image, he further insulted your intelligence by claiming he thought it depicted him as a doctor.”

“And let’s be clear,” Buttigieg emphasized, “he’s not a doctor either!”

The backlash against Trump’s AI Jesus post was swift, drawing criticism from conservatives, religious leaders, and even members of his own support base. This controversy unfolded amid ongoing tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV.

Figures within Trump’s circle, including Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), attempted to downplay the incident or dismiss it entirely.

On Monday, Trump acknowledged the post—which has since been removed—claiming it was meant to depict him as a physician.

In a subsequent post, Trump shared another image featuring Jesus embracing him against a backdrop of the U.S. flag.

Before his remarks in Tulsa, Buttigieg spoke at a Democratic fundraiser in Kansas, where he addressed Vance’s recent admonition to the pope to avoid political discussions regarding theology.

“You’re the kind of Democrats who recognize that God isn’t confined to any political party in America. I can’t fathom any leader we support instructing the pope on theological matters,” Buttigieg stated, specifically referencing Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019.

“It’s absurd. He’s been Catholic for about as long as I’ve been middle-aged, yet he believes he can lecture the pope on Catholic doctrine.”