Predator in a Papal Hat
"It is not whether you believe but whether you are believable." — Pope Francis
Imagine, if you can, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton or George Bush presenting themselves in the robes of the Pope.
You can't, can you?
Not only would these men never do such a thing, but if they did, their presidency would be have been rocked by outrage from the media and religious and political thinkers, especially if they undertook such mockery while the faithful mourned the loss of a beloved religious leader.
Trump's release of an AI-generated image of himself as the infallible Pontiff was described by CNN as "one of the most extraordinary official documents ever issued by the United States government."
But in Washington 2025, such classless and megalomaniacal affronts cause barely a ripple of blowback.
The willingness of the political class to put up with Trump's abuse has allowed him to continually amp up the spectacle. Mockery and desecration have become key tools of office.
I have been trying to get my head around the Trump as pope picture. I know that it is ridiculous, stupid, and tasteless. But it may be the perfect symbol of the surreal world of post-democratic America.
It could be argued that Trump is just so deluded and self-absorbed that he couldn't help himself. After all, what can you expect from the man I described to American media as a "malignant narcissist slug"?
But make no mistake, when Trump plays the role of evil clown president, he is no fool.
Such ridicule is part of the strategy. He uses mockery and abuse as a means of both controlling and shaping policy.
With the image, Trump is targeting three key areas. The first is to his base.
Family Values Be Damned
We have long moved past the obvious question of how the party of Jesus, family values and patriotism could have fallen for a convicted criminal and sexual felon. But Trump not only scored their loyalty, he has made them complicit in his sordid spectacles.
They worry about a fictitious war on Christmas. Trump used Christmas Day to launch foul-mouthed attacks on his enemies. They pray for a Christian revival in the United States. Trump lets them figure out how to justify his decision to pay off a porn star. The QAnon crowd whipped up the base with false allegations of Democratic child abuse. Trump puts migrant children as young as two on trial.
By accepting these abuses, Trump’s most devoted voters are tied to him, not the Republican party.
He also engages in these acts of outrage to force a response from the Republican power structure. But instead of calling Trump out, they present themselves as pusillanimous saps.
Senator Lindsey Graham responded to the pope stunt by pretending that he was in on the great leader's joke:
"Glad to report there is very positive reception and strong momentum for President Trump to be the next Pope…. can't let the naysayers win the day."
J. D. Vance, a Catholic convert, has been forced to genuflect time and time again publicly. And he seems eager to debase himself to please Trump.
When Bill Kristol, a former staffer in the George W. Bush administration, called on Vance to denounce Trump's "disrespect and mockery" of the Pope, Vance not only jumped up to support Trump but trashed the Bush legacy.
"As a general rule, I'm fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen."
Vance was okay with Trump mocking his faith.
The War on the Church
This leads to the second key objective — throwing ridicule on a religious institution that has dared to speak out against his abuses.
Pope Francis made numerous public statements calling out the Trump administration for its human rights violations. But the Pope's efforts to get Trump to protect the marginalized have played out amidst a bitter internal turf war where MAGA forces have been working to push the American Catholic Church to the far right.
Steve Bannon has described the fight against Pope Francis and the progressive Catholic Church in the U.S. as "vicious.”
What pissed off MAGA is that Francis was no shrinking violet.
He demoted right-wing cardinals like Cardinal Raymond Burke while continuing to challenge Trump’s abuse of the rights of migrant people. To the Pope, even Trump must respect the rule of law:
"An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized."
As he was dying, the Pope felt it necessary to meet with Vance to reiterate the obligation to the Trump administration to show mercy to those being demonized and deported by his government.
Consider their response to the mass killings in Gaza.
While Trump was posting grotesque AI-generated images of himself and Benjamin Netanyahu sipping cocktails on the beaches of Gaza, Pope Francis was calling every night into the war zone to comfort people.
And even in death, the Pope sent messages of mercy and healing. He wanted the famous Pope-mobile to be turned into an emergency clinic to help the suffering children of Gaza.
So it’s little wonder that as the world mourned a modern saint, Trump donned the robes of ridicule and abuse.
Vileness is the point in Trump America.
An Infallible Leader
But finally, what does the President, as Pope, say about the state of American democracy?
I have been reading the book Four Threats: The Recurring Crises of American Democracy by Suzanne Mettler and Robert C. Lierman. It is a troubling read.
The authors write that four indicators can define a functioning democracy:
Free and fair elections that "protect their citizens' rights to express their views, participate in the political process and have their voices heard."
A country under the rule of law. "No individual can be considered above the rule of law, no matter how powerful. The legal code is to be applied to all citizens evenly, by impartial courts."
The legitimacy of opposition. This means the peaceful transition of power and the willingness of the losing side to accept the results of an election.
Democracy must protect the "integrity of rights including civil liberties… ensuring that people cannot be turned away from jobs, schools, restaurants or housing on the basis of race, sex; and [protect] voting rights."
Looking at his rise since 2016, we see that Trump has led a relentless attack on democracy and the rule of law. His actions going after the courts are pushing the United States further and further down the road of arbitrary authoritarianism.
When he publicly muses about not being bound by the Constitution, Trump is sending a very clear message. But instead of alarm bells and outrage, he is playing to the sound of crickets.
It’s no wonder Trump feels emboldened to present himself as the holy Pontiff of the United States.
Contrary to Vance's claim, this is not a joke. It's not Trump being Trump. He couldn't be more direct and obvious about where he is going as leader.
I will conclude this piece with the words of Pope Francis:
"I ask everyone with political responsibility to remember two things: human dignity and the common good."
Trump detests both values.
The world is not only dealing with an anti-pope but an anti-democrat.
Thank you for reading.
Spot on Charlie. America’s decent into madness has been alarmingly quick and steep with Trump at the helm and aided by sycophants who conjure up visions of fascists bent on imposing white supremacy. Unfortunately we in Canada have our fascist cheerleaders bent on destroying Canada by tying our future to that of the failing US of A. They must be stopped from dragging Canada into their mad mad world.
We have our own Trump wannabees...Smith is a jackal, who desperately wants to be part of Trump's gang and timed her assault on our democracy for maximum chaos, misinformation,.and rage...and Poilievre, who will do/say anything to curry favour with the Convoy idiots (i.e. the Maga base). I am thinking of Mr Carney today and keeping my fingers crossed. He has several HUGE burdens on his shoulders. Elbows Up, PM Carney!