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The Conversation
The Conversation
Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

What Trump’s post as a Jesus-like figure tells us about political messianism

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 22, 2024, in Arizona. Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

President Donald Trump sparked immediate outcry on April 12, 2026, when he posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. The post, which Trump later said was supposed to depict him as a doctor, came shortly after the president criticized Pope Leo XIV as “weak” and “terrible.”

Three days later, Trump posted an image depicting Jesus with his left hand on the president’s shoulder. Referring to that post, Trump observed, “Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!”

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