Watch: Trump Slaps Down Fox News Reporter Over Repeated Questions on AI Trump Pope Pic

President Donald Trump brushed off criticism Monday after sharing a lighthearted AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope — a meme that sent the media into a frenzy but was clearly intended as a joke.

The image, which Trump reposted on Truth Social without commentary, sparked outrage among some in the press who suggested it had offended Catholics. However, there’s no evidence of widespread backlash among actual churchgoers.

During a press briefing in the Oval Office, Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich attempted to grill the president about the post, treating the matter with the urgency of a national crisis.

“Some Catholics were not so happy about the image of you looking like the pope,” Heinrich began.

Trump didn’t let the narrative gain traction.

“Oh, I see. You mean they can’t take a joke,” he fired back.

He quickly clarified that he wasn’t the one who created the image — just someone who shared it. “You don’t mean the Catholics [are upset], you mean the Fake News Media,” Trump said. “I had nothing to do with it. Somebody made up a picture of me dressed up like the pope, and they put it out on the internet. That’s not me that did it.”

He also noted that the first lady had no issue with it. “Actually, my wife thought it was cute. She said, ‘Isn’t that nice?’”

Despite Trump’s explanation, Heinrich kept pressing. She acknowledged it was a meme but questioned whether posting it from an official White House account “diminish[es] the substance of the official White House account.”

“Gimme a break,” Trump said, chuckling. “Somebody did it in fun. That’s fine. You have to have a little fun, don’t you?”

Critics online came to Trump’s defense and ridiculed Heinrich for trying to blow the story out of proportion.

“To everyone complaining about Pope Trump, you were all silent during this,” one user on X posted alongside an image from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony — which included an LGBTQ-themed reinterpretation of the Last Supper.

Others pointed to the media’s double standards, including when a prayer candle featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci depicted as Jesus made the rounds with barely a peep from the press. “Looking forward to all of the official, long-winded statements condemning him,” another user wrote sarcastically.

The pushback highlights a growing trend: media outlets obsess over memes and perceived slights while ignoring major issues. For example, a controversial law in Washington state effectively undermines Catholic doctrine by requiring priests to report certain confessions to authorities — a direct violation of a sacred church sacrament.

Meanwhile, left-leaning outlets overlook stories that matter to everyday Americans — like the crime surge, border chaos, or Democrat attempts to bring back deported illegal aliens.

In the end, the outrage over the AI “Pope Trump” meme said less about Catholicism and more about the media’s ongoing vendetta. And once again, Trump had the last word.