President Trump stated on Monday that he “had nothing to do with” an outline of himself because the pope that was shared on his and White Home social media accounts over the weekend, distancing himself from the apparently A.I.-generated image that has agitated Catholics.
“I had nothing to do with it,” Mr. Trump stated whereas taking questions within the Oval Workplace. “Any individual made up an image of me dressed just like the pope, they usually put it out on the web. That’s not me that did it, I don’t know the place it got here from — possibly it was A.I. However I don’t know the place it got here from.”
Mr. Trump, responding to a query about Catholics who’re displeased with the picture of him wearing white papal robes and a ceremonial headdress, additionally tried to downplay the mounting criticism.
“They will’t take a joke,” Mr. Trump stated, shortly telling the reporter, “You don’t imply the Catholics; you imply the pretend information media. The Catholics liked it.”
However Catholics throughout the nation, together with a outstanding American cardinal, have instructed the picture is offensive, particularly as they mourn the dying of Pope Francis. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, in Rome for the papal conclave, stated when requested concerning the picture on Sunday that he hoped it was not the president’s doing.
“I hope he didn’t have something to do with that,” Cardinal Dolan stated. Requested if he was offended by it, the cardinal demurred however referred to as the picture a “brutta figura,” which means it had made a bad impression.
