Trump posts and then deletes Jesus-like AI image of himself

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · Apr 13, 2026 · 514 words · By Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

International Relations (Iran) Presidential Conduct Religious Imagery and Politics

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What to know about International Relations (Iran)

Trump posts and then deletes Jesus-like AI image of himself April 13, 2026US President Donald Trump on Monday deleted his own social media post where he portrayed himself as a Jesus-like figure.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Trump posts and then deletes Jesus-like AI image of himself April 13, 2026US President Donald Trump on Monday deleted his own social media post where he portrayed himself as a Jesus-like figure.

Why it matters

The AI-generated image, which was posted on his Truth Social platform late on Sunday night, showed Trump dressed in a flowing white and red robe, putting his hands on a sick man in a way typically associated with faith healing in America.

Common ground

The image drew rare rebuke on social media from his most religious followers.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this International Relations (Iran) story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that During his 2023 bank fraud trial, the president posted a sketch from a supporter that showed him sitting next to Jesus in the courtroom?
How does this story connect International Relations (Iran) with Presidential Conduct over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/trump-posts-and-then-deletes-jesus-like-ai-image-of-himsel…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 4

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Claim 1: “During his 2023 bank fraud trial, the president posted a sketch from a supporter that showed him sitting next to Jesus in the courtroom.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions for the word 'during' and does not contain any information regarding a 2023 bank fraud trial or a sketch of Trump with Jesus.

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · The meaning of DURING is throughout the duration of. How to use during in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/during

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web search NEUTRAL — DURING definition: 1. from the beginning to the end of a particular period: 2. at some time between the beginning and…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/during

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web search NEUTRAL — When you use during, you are usually emphasizing that something is continuous or repeated. You can also use during to say that something happens while an activity takes place. I met a lot of celebriti…
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/during

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Claim 2: “US President Donald Trump on Monday deleted his own social media post where he portrayed himself as a Jesus-like figure.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (Wikipedia, Newsweek, and a fact-check article) confirm that Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure on April 12 and it was deleted by April 13.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt wh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_assassination_of_Don…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, developed a social and professional relationship with financier and child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that began in the late 1980s and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_Donald_Trump_a…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a timeline of the second presidency of Donald Trump during the second quarter of 2026, from April 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026. To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Donald T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_second_Trump_p…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 3: “Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born head of the Roman Catholic Church, who has criticized the Iran war.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is supported by a single cross-reference (Ft) stating that the first US-born Pope has criticized the Iran war. No other independent sources or Wikipedia entries confirm the existence or name of 'Pope Leo XIV'.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — The first US-born Pope has become a vocal critic of the Iran war, and has used recent public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation.
https://www.ft.lk/news/Pope-Leo-calls-for-global-leaders-to-…

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Claim 4: “Trump deleted the photo on Monday”

CORROBORATED

The fact-check article explicitly states that as of April 13, the image had been deleted from Trump's Truth Social feed.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a war with Iran and its regional allies. The conflict began when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, targeting mili…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Between his terms as President of the United States, Donald Trump made several false or misleading claims.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_or_misleading_statements…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “A DoorDash delivery service employee had brought the food to the presidential residence”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Fox News, AP Photo/Alex Brandon, AOL) identify the delivery person as Sharon Simmons, a DoorDash employee who delivered McDonald's to the White House.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world, behind the Chin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On October 20, 2014, in Chicago, Illinois, Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old boy, was murdered by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke. Police had initially reported that McDonald was behaving erratical…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Laquan_McDonald

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “Paula White-Cain, a televangelist who has served as his spiritual advisor, made one of those references [during Easter lunch at the White House].”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries for the name 'Paula' and unrelated people named Paula (Paula Deen, Paula's Choice), with no mention of Paula White-Cain's comments at an Easter lunch.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Paula is a common female given name (from Latin Paula, little/small). It is used in German, English, Estonian, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwe…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_(given_name)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Visit Paula Deen online for the easy dinner recipes she's known for. You'll also find healthy recipes along with her famous Southern comfort food. Shop the home store and get holiday meal ideas for pa…
https://www.pauladeen.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Achieve radiant and healthy skin with Paula’s Choice Skincare. Shop our research-based skin care products for all skin types and skin concerns.
https://www.paulaschoice.com/

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Claim 7: “Trump provided his explanation while talking to reporters at the White House after receiving a food order from McDonald's.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (AP News, AOL) report that Trump spoke with reporters/delivery workers at the White House on Monday, April 13, 2026, after receiving a McDonald's order.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On August 24, 2023, after being indicted on racketeering and related charges, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States who went on to win the 2024 presidential election, voluntarily …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mug_shot_of_Donald_Trump

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — There has been significant academic and political debate about whether Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, can be considered a fascist according to consensus definitions of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_fascism

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The use of makeup and cosmetics by Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, has been a subject of media coverage since before his entry into electoral politics. He has been repo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makeup_of_Donald_Trump

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 8: “the Catholic Church... has clashed with the White House over policies such as immigration and the current war in Iran.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided contains general information about the Catholic Church but does not mention specific clashes with the White House over immigration or the war in Iran.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), commonly called the Roman Catholic Church, [note 1] is the largest Christian church, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Search the world's largest database of answers about the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. Learn more about Catholicism through articles, books, videos and more.
https://www.catholic.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · Roman Catholicism, Christian religion that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the t…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism

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Claim 9: “The AI-generated image, which was posted on his Truth Social platform late on Sunday night, showed Trump dressed in a flowing white and red robe, putting his hands on a sick man”

CORROBORATED

Three separate sources confirm the image was AI-generated, posted to Truth Social on Sunday night (April 12, 2026), and depicted him in a white robe and red sash healing a sick man.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Content made with generative artificial intelligence has been used in American politics since the 2020s. The use of generative AI by American political figures has been subject to criticism from many …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI-generated_content_in_Americ…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The religious views of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, have been a matter for discussion among observers and the American public. Trump was raised in his Scottish-born …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_religion

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Truth Social is an American alt-tech social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), an American company majority-owned by US president Donald Trump. It has been called a "Twitte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_Social

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.