MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
President Trump was criticized by even some of his staunchest supporters this week when he posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The president has attempted to explain the post, which has also been deleted. All this has come as he has attacked Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope.
MARTIN: Here to tell us more about all this is NPR White House correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben. Good morning, Danielle.
DANIELLE KURTZLEBEN, BYLINE: Hey, Michel.
MARTIN: What is the president's explanation for this post?
KURTZLEBEN: He told reporters yesterday he did post the image himself, but that he thought it wasn't an image of him as Jesus.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better.
KURTZLEBEN: To be clear, though, this image depicts Trump in a white robe with a red shawl or sash, which is how Jesus is often depicted. And there's light coming from his hands as he heals a man, and there's a woman who appears to be praying to him. And crucially, many of his supporters thought it was depicting him as Jesus or God.
MARTIN: You know, Danielle, you've reported many times that the president really tries not to be seen as ever backing down or apologizing. So is it significant that he removed this post?
KURTZLEBEN: Yeah, I think so. I mean, the last time he gained wide attention for deleting a post, it was a really racist video depicting the Obamas as apes, and it drew massive criticism. Trump told CBS last night he removed this post because people had been confused by it. But some influential supporters, they were really mad about this. Riley Gaines, the commentator who also outspokenly opposes transgender athletes, initially responded to the image by saying, God shall not be mocked.
MARTIN: And the president posted this image right as he was attacking the pope, who has spoken out against the Iran war. Is this new territory, even for Trump?
KURTZLEBEN: Not exactly. It's not the first time he's clashed with a pope. In 2016, Pope Francis criticized Trump - then a candidate - for wanting to build a border wall and suggested that Trump wasn't a real Christian. And as far as AI images go, once last year, Trump posted a picture of himself as pope.
Now, time will tell how much this alienates anyone. I mean, coarseness has always been a central part of the Trump brand, so his actions have often raised questions about whether his Christian supporters would abandon him. But overwhelmingly, the ones who like him have just stuck with him. By last night, for example, Riley Gaines had softened on that image Trump posted, posting that it was amazing that Trump had deleted it. Now, all of that said, Trump is already in a weak spot right now. This war is not popular. Peace talks have failed. His approval has slid. Prices are high. So you can see this image, his criticism of the pope, as new instances that could further just wear away at Trump's support.
MARTIN: How has the pope responded?
KURTZLEBEN: Well, he told reporters this week that he's not a politician. He's not trying to get into a political debate. He also added that he has no fear of the Trump administration. And it all highlights a pretty remarkable aspect of all of this, which is how differently Trump and the pope have responded to each other. Trump is attacking the pope like a political opponent. He posted that the pope is weak on crime, for example. Pope Leo, on the other hand, is talking about the war generally in these bigger terms about peacemaking, humanity and the Gospels and God. So Trump is picking a fight here with someone who's operating on this totally different level. Trump is making this about him, about winning and strength. The pope isn't really engaging with that. He's the head of this millennia-old institution, and he's talking from a place of belief as opposed to winning or losing.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben. Danielle, thank you.
KURTZLEBEN: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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