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Trump deletes doctored 'Jesus' photo after blasphemy controversy

Trump deletes doctored 'Jesus' photo after blasphemy controversy

From Dong-A Ilbo · (2d ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Former US President Donald Trump deleted a doctored image depicting him as Jesus Christ from his Truth Social account.
  • The removal followed widespread criticism, including accusations of blasphemy from conservative Christian supporters and condemnation from international figures like Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
  • Trump later claimed the image was meant to portray him as a doctor, stating "I make people better."

In a rare move, former President Donald Trump has deleted a controversial doctored image from his Truth Social account that depicted him in a manner resembling Jesus Christ. The image, which showed Trump in white robes with a red cape, a halo, and light emanating from his hands, had sparked outrage and accusations of blasphemy, particularly from his core base of conservative Christian supporters.

I don't know if the president did it for fun, or if he was on drugs, but I don't know how he's going to explain this outrageous blasphemy, and he should immediately take down the post and apologize to the American people and God.

— Meghan BashamA conservative Christian author criticizing Trump's doctored image.

The backlash was significant, with prominent conservative Christian author Meghan Basham calling the post "blasphemous" and demanding an immediate apology. The controversy extended beyond domestic circles, with Pope Francis and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemning Trump's actions and rhetoric towards the Pope.

The Pope's calls for peace and condemnation of all forms of war are right and normal. (Trump's criticism of the Pope) is unacceptable.

— Giorgia MeloniItalian Prime Minister responding to Trump's criticism of Pope Francis.

Trump's decision to remove the post, just 12 hours after it was initially shared, is seen as an unusual step for him, as he typically does not retract controversial content. He later attempted to clarify his intentions, suggesting the image was meant to represent him as a doctor, stating, "I make people better." This explanation, however, did little to quell the criticism surrounding the provocative imagery and his public statements.

I make people better. I make them much better.

— Donald TrumpTrump's explanation for the doctored image after deleting it.
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Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.