New Delhi, May 4 -- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt when asked about the AI-generated image of Donald Trump dressed as the pope, defended the President, saying he had traveled to Italy to attend Pope Francis' funeral and "has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty."

Leavitt said, "President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty."

The image, posted to Trump's Truth Social account and later reposted by the White House on X, drew sharp criticism from Catholic leaders and Italian officials.

The New York State Catholic Conference called the post offensive. "There is nothing clever or funny about...