On Sunday, Trump shared an AI-generated image of Jesus on his Truth Social platform, coinciding with Orthodox Easter. This post emerged amidst his ongoing conflict with Pope Leo XIV regarding the war in Iran.
On Monday, Vice President JD Vance, who has converted to Catholicism, defended Trump’s post on Fox News. Vance remarked that he believed the president intended the post as a joke and removed it upon realizing many people did not grasp his humor.
The following day, Johnson addressed the issue during an interview with CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi, responding to her question about whether the Jesus post constituted “blasphemy.”
“I spoke with the president about it immediately upon seeing it,” Johnson stated. “I conveyed to him that it wasn’t being perceived as he had intended. He agreed and decided to take it down, which was the right action to take.”
“He explained his perspective, and I don’t believe he thought it was sacrilegious at all,” Johnson added.
Johnson further noted that the president “demonstrated great respect for others by removing it.”
