The death of Pope Francis is still a hot topic on the internet and now we have Donald Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as the religious leader, which is being called online as the Trump Pope" meme.

As the popular saying goes, "the jokes write themselves," because if you remember a few weeks ago the J.D. Vance killed Pope Francis theory had thousands of netizens creatively joking about why the Vice President of the United States would be involved in the death of the Catholic Church's most powerful leader.

But what exactly is the "Trump Pope" meme, and why did he post the AI meme? Here’s a closer look at its origins, internet reaction, and some notable examples.

What Is The 'Trump Pope' Meme?

On April 30th, 2025, Donald Trump joked that he would like to succeed Pope Francis, who died on April 21st, 2025, at the age of 88. The U.S. President brought the subject back to his social media accounts on May 2nd by sharing an AI image featuring him in full Catholic ceremonial attire resembling a Pope's headdress.

How Did The Internet React To The 'Trump Pope' Meme?

Netizens quickly criticized the U.S. President and also the official White House Twitter / X account for sharing the Trump Pope AI meme. According to BBC New York State Catholic Conference "accused Trump of mocking the faith" and New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed offense with the President's post, calling the image "deeply offensive" and inappropriate, especially amid the ongoing mourning period for Pope Francis.

The meme also became the topic of debates on TikTok, as user @ben.verbeck uploaded a screenshot of the Trump Pope meme, adding the overlay text "people will see this and still say he's respectful."

@ben.verbeck Trump posted an AI Photo generated image of him as the Pope, mocking the late Pope Francis. #news #fyp #politics # #trump #pope ♬ follow cythiraaa on ig – cyn

U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who's currently in Rome for the Pope conclave, said President Donald Trump’s posting the AI-generated photo of himself as the pope "wasn’t good."

MAJOR BREAKING: Catholic Cardinal Dolan slams Trump‘s post on social media showing him dressed as the pope: “It wasn’t good.” Dolan also called it a “brutta figura” which in Italian roughly translates to “making a fool of yourself.” He’s right. pic.twitter.com/PpcSAxg7RK

— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) May 4, 2025

What Are Some Notable 'Trump Pope' Memes?

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For the full history of Trump Pope, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.