Dhaka, May 10 -- born Robert Prevost was elected pope-the first in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church-US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed in full papal regalia.

Was it a prophetic gesture, a political stunt, or something more calculated?

The image, shared on Trump's Truth Social platform on May 2, showed him in a white cassock and miter, styled like a reigning pontiff.

The post was later reshared by the White House's official X (formerly Twitter) account, prompting criticism from Catholic leaders in the United States and in Italy.

Many saw it as ill-timed, even disrespectful, coming during the Church's traditional nine-day mourning period following the death of Pope Francis on April 21....