Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) stated Wednesday that he accepted former President Donald Trump’s explanation for a controversial social media post depicting Trump as a Jesus-like figure at “face value.” Tillis shifted the focus to Trump’s recent comments about Pope Leo XIV, calling them more concerning than the viral image.
The AI-generated image, shared by Trump on Truth Social, showed him in a messianic pose with a glowing halo. While critics accused Trump of self-deification, Tillis dismissed the uproar. “I worry less about the post,” Tillis told The Hill, adding that Trump’s rhetoric toward the Pope deserved greater scrutiny.
Political analysts note the post aligns with Trump’s history of leveraging religious imagery. “This fits a pattern of Trump framing himself as a martyr or savior figure,” said a Brookings Institution researcher. Meanwhile, Vatican officials declined to comment on Trump’s remarks about the Pope.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between Trump’s camp and religious leaders, with potential implications for evangelical voter outreach ahead of the 2024 election.