'I talked to the President as soon as I saw it': Mike Johnson reacts to Trump's controversial 'Jesus' post
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that President Donald Trump took down a controversial social media post after Johnson told him people were misinterpreting the image, which some critics compared to Jesus Christ. The AI-generated image, posted Sunday on Trump's Truth Social account, showed him in flowing robes with a red sash, appearing to heal a bedridden man with light coming from his hands. The post quickly drew criticism from his religious supporters and was reportedly removed Monday morning.
"I talked to the President about it as soon as I saw it and told him that I don't think it was being received in the same way he intended it," Johnson told reporters, adding, "He agreed, and he pulled it down. That was the right thing to do. I don't think he thought it was sacrilegious at all." On Monday, Trump defended the post, telling reporters at the White House that he meant the image to show him as a doctor helping people. "It wasn't a depiction [of Jesus]. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor," Trump said. "It had to do with the Red Cross... It's supposed to be me as a doctor."
Mike Johnson: "I talked to the president about it as soon as I saw it and told him that I don't think it was being received in the same way he intended it. He agreed and he pulled it down. That was the right thing to do. He explained how he saw that and I don't think he thought… pic.twitter.com/eCMrUZgpDZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2026
The controversy follows a public dispute between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. On Truth Social, Trump called the Pope "WEAK on Crime" and said his presidency led to the Church choosing an American. "He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I weren't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," Trump said.
Reactions to the post, however, have been strong, including from Trump's conservative supporters. Megan Basham, a well-known evangelical commentator and culture writer, called the post on social media "OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy" and questioned Trump's state of mind. Representative Austin Scott (R-GA), a former Trump supporter, also spoke out, saying on Tuesday that "God will not be mocked," The Hill reported.
I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy. But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and… https://t.co/scsXaj6Rey
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) April 13, 2026
Democrats were also quick to condemn the image. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) wrote on X that Trump was "mocking God" and called the post "outrageous, offensive, and profane." "Clearly he is not well. As an American, a Catholic, a human—I am disgusted," McGovern added. Senator Bernie Sanders called Trump's post an example of "deranged, egomaniacal behavior." "When will Republicans in Congress stop blindly following this dangerous and unhinged man?" he said on X.
