President Donald Trump is receiving mixed reactions for reading from the Bible during a nationwide broadcast a week after he criticized Pope Leo XIV and posted an AI-generated photo of him appearing like Jesus Christ.
On Tuesday, April 21, Trump read 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, scripture from the Old Testament, during a pre-recorded broadcast for America Reads the Bible, a week-long Bible reading event held in tandem with the celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
The reading came after Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself that appeared like Jesus to Truth Social on April 12. The president later removed the post, claiming the photo was him as a doctor. He then shared a new AI-generated photo of himself embraced by Jesus amid public comments from Pope Leo.
Like many of Trump's actions, the reading has created a divide, with some upset about the president reading from the Bible in the Oval Office, while others are encouraged to see Christianity coming from the White House.
"Sure, Satan, read some scripture. True Christians are not fooled by you and pray that you will seek forgiveness, repent of your sins and do what Jesus said in His Word," investigative journalist Jamie Satterfield wrote in an X post on April 21.
