Trump and Jesus
A Joke?
Recently, Mr Trump, the President of the USA, posted an AI image on social media of himself as Jesus Christ. Mr. Trump dresses as every sentimental Christian imagines Jesus dressed and he heals a man (or at least shines a light in his head). Various people praying surround him. Behind him is the USA flag, the White House, military planes and various other figures.
Mr Trump took it down soon after he put it up but others copied and reproduced it across the internet. It seems Mr Trump intended it as a joke. So, rather than going in all guns blazing on the theme of blasphemy, let’s take it at face value as a joke.
English and American Humour
People claim the English and Americans do not share the same sense of humour. So, it’s not impossible there’s something hilariously funny about this image, if you are American.
However, I can’t see any humour intrinsic to the image. When I see a cartoon, I can usually see at least why it is intended to be funny, even though I don’t laugh myself. If I can’t see the point of the cartoon, then I would think it isn’t funny and thus a failure as a cartoon.
I don’t see any way in which someone could look at this image and think: hilarious. They might be an admirer of Mr Trump and think it apt but not hilarious.
Liberals Lampooned
However, the joke need not be intrinsic to the image. The joke may have been to get a reaction from people Americans call liberals. In Britain, we would call them conservatives. However, Americans consider conservatives too liberal. (Americans are similarly plagued by socialists, who approximate to what we would call liberals. Communist is a name applied to anyone conservatives disagree with.)
Some people upon seeing the image might find it amusing to imagine how liberals would react to it. This was most likely Mr Trump’s intention when he published the image.
Who Made the Image?
We don’t know whether Mr Trump instructed his AI to create the image or whether someone on his team created it in an idle moment (or at Mr Trump’s request). Whoever created it, it’s worth pondering what sort of prompt would have guided AI to create this image.
I suspect it could have been simple. To request an image of Mr Trump as Jesus might be enough to generate the central image. The AI would have access to artistic images of Jesus and loads of images of Mr Trump. They might have specified the other elements.
There are loads of accounts of Mr Trump receiving gifts from his admirers all over the world, especially government leaders. It’s not impossible someone asked AI to create the image to produce something Mr Trump would like.
A Latter-day Cyrus?
Mr Trump is supported by Christians, although he is not Christian himself. They compare him to Cyrus, who was the Persian king who let the Israelites return from exile. I believe Cyrus would have been considered liberal by American standards. This comparison has not stopped Mr Trump bombing Iran.
Is It Blasphemous?
Has any member of a Christian tradition that supports Mr Trump condemned the image? Some church leaders and commentators objected in private. To assert the image is a joke is obviously damage limitation and the image was taken down fairly swiftly. (See below for my comment on Mr Trump’s claim he thought it depicted him as a doctor.)
The silence of Mr Trump’s religious supporters is telling because there is no doubt the image is blasphemous. Mr Trump is sometimes described as the most powerful man in the USA. (Some would say the world but there are other leaders of powerful nations who might contest that claim.) He thinks that gives him authority over both friends (eg NATO) and foes (eg Iran). Is he the most powerful man in the world? He thinks he is.
It’s a small step from there to laying claim to a godlike status. Demonic possession in the Bible parallels this. I’ve worked with community groups and it is common for a community leader to grow into thinking they embody their community. Anyone occupying a position of power for too long loses a sense of self and becomes an ego-driven embodiment of the organisation they lead. Victor Orban, recently showed that he hadn’t abandoned every shred of decency when he stepped down graciously after losing Hungary’s election.
If you listen to unpopular leaders who elect to spend more time with their family, in time they often start talking sense. I suspect time in office allows little time for reflection and this shows in decisions made towards the end of long periods in office.
Final Note
To draw this to a close. Mr Trump may have intended this image as a joke, chortling away at the discomfort of people claiming the image blasphemous. However, I have an uncomfortable feeling that the image shows the state of his soul. And the hazards ahead of those who worship him and his actions.
I’ve deliberately chosen not to include the image itself in this post. I don’t see any reason to duplicate it further and most people will have seen it. If you are one of the few who haven’t seen it, follow this link: Trump claims controversial post depicting him as Jesus was actually him as a doctor: ‘Only the fake news could come up with that’ | The Independent I don’t know how long this link will remain live.
If you follow the link, you see that Mr Trump claims he thought it was an image of him as a doctor. It seems likely he said this to mollify his Christian followers, who hang on his every word. If he is, unusually, being honest and he really thought he is a doctor in the image, it has to be further evidence of his unsuitability for the powerful position he holds. How many doctors dress like that and heal people surrounded by people in prayer?
I remain more convinced by his assertion he intended it as a joke.