What Trump’s post as a Jesus?like figure tells us about political messianism

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 22, 2024, in Arizona.
Rebecca Noble/Getty Images
Austin Sarat, Amherst College

President Donald Trump sparked immediate outcry on April 12, 2026, when he posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. The post, which Trump later said was supposed to depict him as a doctor, came shortly after the president criticized Pope Leo XIV...