President Trump trolls Catholics with AI image, but delivers a strong opinion on next pope

Trump also suggested that the Archbishop of New York may make a good pope.

PUBLISHED MAY 3, 2025

Ten American cardinals will join 123 other electors from around the world to select the next pope.

Washington D.C.: US President Donald Trump cemented his status as troller-in-chief after he posted an image of himself dressed as the Pope on his Truth Social account on Friday.

The AI-generated image, shows the president in a white cassock with a gold cross and seemingly about to give a blessing.

President Donald Trump posted an AI generated image on his Truth Social of him dressed as the pope.

"I would like to be pope. That would be my number one choice. I think I would make a great pope. No one would do it better than me," the president said on Wednesday at the White House.

But behind the troll seemed to lie a message. Trump also suggested that the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, one of the American prelates present at the conclave, may make a good pope.

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"I must say there's a cardinal from a place called New York who's very good. We'll see what happens."

Ten American cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to participate in the papal conclave scheduled to begin on May 7, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21. These cardinals will join 123 other electors from around the world to select the next pope.

Who are the US cardinals voting at the papal conclave?

The US cardinals eligible to vote in the 2025 papal conclave are: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan (Archbishop of New York), Cardinal Blase J Cupich (Archbishop of Chicago), Cardinal Joseph W Tobin (Archbishop of Newark), Cardinal Wilton D Gregory (Archbishop Emeritus of Washington), Cardinal Robert W McElroy (Archbishop of Washington), Cardinal Raymond L Burke (Patron Emeritus of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta), Cardinal Daniel N DiNardo (Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston), Cardinal Kevin J Farrell (Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life based in the Vatican]), Cardinal James M Harvey (Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls based in Rome) and Cardinal Edwin F O’Brien (Grand Master Emeritus of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem)

Cardinal Gregory is the first African American cardinal, and Cardinal McElroy was among the most recent American cardinals appointed by Pope Francis.