What To Know
- Donald Trump posted a photo of himself depicted as Jesus Christ on Truth Social.
- Morning Joehosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski reacted to the post on the April 13 episode of their show.
- Washington Post reporter David Ignatius also weighed in on the “disturbing” image.
Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski began the Monday, April 13, broadcast ofMorning Joe by calling out Donald Trump for posting an AI-generated photo of himself healing a man while depicted as Jesus Christ. Trump’s post came after he was criticized by Pope Leo XIV for his war in Iran.
“The baptist in me reminded me of what Jesus said: ‘Many believers will fall away and betray one another and hate one another and false prophets will arise and lead many astray, and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold,’” Scarborough began. “That wasn’t the pope. That was actually Jesus, who also said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who hunger and thirst.”
Scarborough theorized that Trump’s decision to post that photo could have been done to “distract from all the terrible news that happened to the administration yesterday.” He also pointed out, “A week ago, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, promised a mass genocide … as a negotiating tactic, promised a mass genocide against an entire civilization. This week, he portrays himself as Jesus Christ while viciously attacking the pope. That’s a rough week or so and raises many disturbing questions.”
The hosts then threw it over to David Ignatius from The Washington Post, who called Trump’s post “profane.”
“The minute I saw it, I was troubled by it,” Ignatius continued. “At the time when he’s picking a fight with Pope Leo, he’s already gone after the ayatollah. Maybe he’s trying to be broader in his attacks on religious leaders, but it’s just disturbing. You can’t help but wonder what many Christians who see Donald Trump as an embodiment of their faith and beliefs think when they see this imagery.”
He also wondered, “Isn’t there anybody in the White House that looks at these things and says, ‘Mr. President, I’m not sure you ought to put that one out’?”
Scarborough noted that those in Trump’s corner will just say that critics “don’t get the joke,” but added, “I can tell you, for evangelicals, even though they want to completely turn their back on everything they’re raised on, will look at that as blasphemous.”
Morning Joe, Weekdays, 6a/5c, MS NOW
