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Nancy Pelosi / Donald Trump

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sharply criticized the president's now-deleted AI-generated image depicting him as a Christ-like figure, calling it "worthy of a diagnosis" and suggesting it was intended to distract from broader controversies surrounding his remarks on religion and foreign policy.

"You would have to ask a psychiatrist... It isn't even worthy of a conversation. It's worthy of a diagnosis," said Pelosi referring to the image, which showed the president in a white robe appearing to heal a patient. She added that such actions were "too distracting" and part of a broader effort "to distract" from criticism over his comments about Pope Leo XIV.

The image, originally posted on Truth Social, drew backlash from across the political spectrum, including from some conservative and faith-based figures. The president later removed the post, saying he intended it to depict himself "as a doctor making people better" and that he "didn't want to have anybody be confused."

In recent days, Trump has criticized the pope as "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," while the pope has condemned U.S. military actions in Iran, describing the conflict as "absurd and inhuman violence." The exchange has amplified scrutiny of the administration's rhetoric and decision-making.

The former Speaker has also intensified her criticism of the president's conduct beyond the social media post. Earlier this month, she wrote that his "instability is more clear and dangerous than ever," urging members of his Cabinet to consider invoking the 25th Amendment. "If the Cabinet is not willing to invoke the 25th Amendment and restore sanity, Republicans must reconvene the Congress to end this war," she said.

The episode is part of a broader pattern of controversial social media activity linked to the president's account, including previous posts that have been removed after public backlash. Officials have at times attributed such posts to staff errors, though the president acknowledged posting the image himself.

Pelosi framed the incident as part of a wider political strategy, saying that while the imagery was offensive to some, it should not dominate public attention. "We do not agonise over that," she said. "We just organise about how we want to go forward."

Originally published on Latin Times