Mike Levin contrasts Trump with Pope, questions President's grasp of faith

The feud between the White House and the Vatican appears to be escalating, following a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump that seemingly depicted him as a messianic figure. The AI-generated image, which was later deleted, drew sharp criticism from conservatives and Democrats alike, with many condemning the President. Amidst the feud, Congressman Mike Levin urged Americans to consider the stark contrast between the Pope and the President before picking sides. He noted that one of them has spent 45 years studying and living the Gospel, and the other, according to him, can't name a single Bible verse.

Tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV have been building for months, particularly over the U.S. administration's immigration policies and the war with Iran. The Pope had earlier spoken out against the violence in the Middle East, which drew a response from the President, who dismissed the Pope as "weak" and posted an AI‑generated image of himself as a Christ‑like figure. While Truth Social Post was taken down within a day, it drew strong backlash across social media.

Rep. Levin called out Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth for "wrapping" the Iran war in the language of faith and God, and noted that the Pope "responded that using religion to justify killing is a betrayal of the Gospel, not a defense of it, and that the war fails every moral test the church has ever established for armed conflict." He then slammed the President's remarks about the Pope, urging Americans to be careful while choosing sides. "You don't have to be religious to see what's happening. One man has actually read the Bible while the other is using it as a prop," Levin wrote on X. 

Several other Democrats also slammed Trump for the seemingly insensitive post. "I am repulsed by this photo," Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, wrote in a post on X. "This is outrageous, offensive, and profane. Clearly, he is not well. As an American, a Catholic, a human - I am disgusted," he added. Despite the criticism, Trump on Monday defended the post, claiming it was never meant to depict him as God. "I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross," Trump told reporters at the White House, according to the Associated Press. "It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better," the President added. 

The post was shared hours after Trump called Pope Leo "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy" in a separate post. The Pope was asked about the President's remarks when he arrived in Algeria on Monday as part of an 11-day tour of Africa, and he told reporters that he wasn't afraid of the U.S. administration. "I'm not afraid of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do," he told reporters.