American Catholics are disappointed by President Trump's insult to the Pope.

The political allegiance of approximately 53 million American Roman Catholic devotees has been severely tested due to the controversial situation created between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, as well as the artificial intelligence (AI) generated images published by Trump depicting himself as a Christ-like figure. Despite the President's actions and attacks, the majority of his supporters, as a whole, appear to remain with him.

Letitia Velasquez, a 63-year-old registered Republican and three-time Trump voter residing in North Haven, Connecticut, states that the AI-generated image published by Trump depicting himself as a Christ-like figure healing a sick person was the final factor that led her to completely reject him. Trump's response to the Pope's statements condemning the Iranian war and threatening Iran on Easter Sunday also contributed to her disapproval, and she says that the AI image is the pinnacle of his self-deception and that she no longer supports him.

However, responding to her views, 65-year-old retiree Phil Licquori states that Trump is still better than any Democratic candidate. He believes the Pope should not interfere in politics and sees Trump's AI posts merely as a satirical act by a flawed man. Meanwhile, Brendan Miller-Bolt, a 29-year-old Catholic residing in Pittsburgh, also says that although he dislikes the President's character, he reluctantly voted for him in 2024 due to his anti-abortion policies.

Salvatore Lonano, a Vietnam War veteran residing in Boston, shares this sentiment, stating that the Pope should stay in the church and the President should be entrusted with governing the country. This trend among Catholic voters is also clearly demonstrated by AP VoteCast data, with charts confirming that their Republican allegiance has grown from 2018 to 2024, while Democratic allegiance has declined at a similar rate.

Responding to a question from journalists during a flight to Algeria regarding this conflict, Pope Leo XIV stated that he is not afraid to speak out about the message of the Gospel that the Trump administration or today's world needs. Meanwhile, last Wednesday, Trump also posted another image on 'Truth Social' depicting Jesus embracing him, noting that although the extreme left dislikes it, he finds it very beautiful. Catholics who dislike Trump, such as Joyce Rothermel and Margarita Castellone, say that his behavior further confirms their opposition to him and that they greatly appreciate the Pope's message of peace.

(Based on the Wall Street Journal)