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LetMyPeopleVote

(180,470 posts)
47. MaddowBlog-After picking an ugly fight with pope, Trump promotes image panned as 'blasphemy'
Mon Apr 13, 2026, 11:08 AM
Yesterday

The president’s offensive against the pope, followed by the image presenting himself as some kind of American Jesus, represented quite the one-two punch.

I get that many will find Trump’s offensive against the pope as predictable — this is just what he does — but compare how he lashed out at Pope Francis in 2016 to how he targeted Pope Leo XIV yesterday.

And then add in the mind-numbing American Jesus image.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-04-13T12:03:12.331Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/after-picking-an-ugly-fight-with-pope-trump-promotes-image-panned-as-blasphemous

A decade later, as president, the Republican decided to go even further in an offensive against Francis’ successor, Pope Leo XIV.

In a 330-word tirade published on Sunday night to his social media platform, Trump wrote, among other things:

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. … I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t! … Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!


.....Soon after, during a brief Q&A with reporters, Trump was asked why he “attacked” the pope. Instead of challenging the premise, the Republican replied, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. … I am not a fan of Pope Leo.”

Reporter: Why did you attack Pope Leo?

Trump: I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. We don’t like a pope who says it’s ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo.

Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2026-04-13T01:33:12.402Z


.....To be sure, none of this was too surprising. Leo, for example, recently chastised those who invoke God as supportive of military might, saying in a homily on Palm Sunday, “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”...

The question was less about whether Team Trump, which has spent months clashing with the faith community, would go after the Catholic leader, and more about how. We now have an answer.

On Monday morning, aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, the church’s first-ever American pope told The Associated Press, “I have no fear of the Trump administration.”....

For good measure, this back-and-forth was not the Republican’s only message related to religion.

And Trump posted an image of himself as some sort of American Jesus healing people.

Brian Kaylor (@briankaylor.bsky.social) 2026-04-13T02:02:10.235Z


On Sunday night, Trump apparently thought it would also be a good idea to promote an image that appeared to present him as some kind of American Jesus.

“There is behavior that’s so self-evidently deranged that merely seeing it should lead to fury and disgust,” The New York Times’ David French wrote in response. “I’m concerned, however, that some evangelicals are so influenced by Trump that they won’t unite with their Catholic brothers and sisters in response to Trump’s blasphemy and intolerable attacks on the pope, but will instead turn against them.”

trump is truly crazy.

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Every republican who voted for and/or supports this psychopath, and B.See Yesterday #6
A lot of people are saying that patient is Epstein. Many people think so. RockRaven Yesterday #2
Thank you for your attention to this matter. COL Mustard Yesterday #7
To me... 2naSalit Yesterday #31
I have seen on the Internet it is Epstein, and if displacedvermoter Yesterday #42
Looks like Epstein to me gypsy11 Yesterday #45
Thune, Thune, ....Thune. Has anyone seen Thune? SalamanderSleeps Yesterday #3
I know piggy's envisioned himself as the Persecuted Savior Grokenstein Yesterday #4
Where are the cries of BidenRocks Yesterday #5
I entered one in another thread. calimary Yesterday #8
Not surprised. Neither Trump nor Vance B.See Yesterday #10
Are you fucking kidding me? Aviation Pro Yesterday #9
WWJD? IcyPeas Yesterday #11
Yeah but instead of healing the sick Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Yesterday #12
Every single day he proves he's insane Grim Chieftain Yesterday #13
Blasphemy Emile Yesterday #14
Trumps losing it in real time. BradBo Yesterday #15
25th Amendment NOW Betty Boom Yesterday #16
What in the hell is this thiiing? NBachers Yesterday #17
That's a new character NJCher Yesterday #21
I think it's Cthulhu jmowreader Yesterday #22
Rushing through the open gates to reclaim their world and commit unspeakable atrocities upon us all. NBachers Yesterday #29
And then seeing Trump and realizing he's small time compared to that jmowreader Yesterday #49
The Beast 666? The Whore of Babylon? eShirl Yesterday #36
Do you see the two raised arms and each one doing a peace sign? usedtobedemgurl Yesterday #39
Looks like demon from the classic horror film displacedvermoter Yesterday #43
Statue of Liberty crossed with a Gundam? NickB79 Yesterday #44
There is speculation online that blue-wave Yesterday #18
looks more like Billy Bob Thornton to me eShirl Yesterday #37
Well that would introduce a whole 'nother layer of WTF, wouldn't it? NBachers Yesterday #46
This is great. I love it! NJCher Yesterday #19
I'm sure there are plenty of volunteers to escort F47 to his personal Golgotha 0rganism Yesterday #20
Looks like a Jon McNaughton Special to me jmowreader Yesterday #23
Looks like someone here at DU got fooled by a fak-- Tommy Carcetti Yesterday #24
I turned on Morning Joe to see how they cover the malaise Yesterday #25
He believes the lies of his ass-kissers... QueerDuck Yesterday #26
Franklin Graham: How would your father have reacted to this blasphemy? Chasstev365 Yesterday #27
Ha! Trump doing Reiki. no_hypocrisy Yesterday #28
naw, he's siphoning life energy from his victim eShirl Yesterday #38
I like the way you roll! no_hypocrisy Yesterday #41
Lot of white people around Jesus Trump in that A.I. slop Botany Yesterday #30
No dark-skinned folks--I guess Ars Longa Yesterday #32
;-{)..... Goonch Yesterday #33
it must really piss him off onethatcares Yesterday #34
Cheeto Christ, by Randy Rainbow. Still relevant. Crunchy Frog Yesterday #35
I think Delarage Yesterday #40
MaddowBlog-After picking an ugly fight with pope, Trump promotes image panned as 'blasphemy' LetMyPeopleVote Yesterday #47
Dupe bif Yesterday #48
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