Trump to Read Bible Verse Amid Pope Feud and AI Jesus Backlash
President Donald Trump will deliver a recorded Bible reading on Tuesday as part of a week-long national scripture event-days after sparking a firestorm among Christians over a feud with Pope Leo XIV and two artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images depicting Jesus Christ.
The timing places Trump’s scripture participation in sharp contrast with a week of religious controversy that fractured support even among his most loyal base. Evangelical leaders, conservative commentators, and former allies all weighed in, making Trump’s faith a rare fault line within the MAGA movement.
What Trump Will Read-and When
On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to deliver a recorded video message from the Oval Office as part of America Reads the Bible, a week-long initiative organized by Washington D.C.’s Museum of the Bible commemorating 250 years of the Bible in America. Nearly 500 readers-including Cabinet secretaries Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Doug Collins and chief of staff Susie Wiles-will recite passages from Genesis to Revelation across seven days.
Trump’s reading at 6 p.m. ET will be followed by Dr. Ben and Candy Carson.
The president will read from 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
“We are thankful that President Trump has agreed to read one of the most important Scripture passages for the American church,” Bunni Pounds, founder of Christians Engaged and organizer of the event, said in a Saturday press release. "…What hope this moment gives us for national healing and renewal."
Trump issued a Presidential Message on Friday recognizing America Reads the Bible, saying in part: “This week, I send my best wishes to every citizen gathered at the Museum of the Bible, on the National Mall, and all across our country participating in America Reads the Bible, a historic initiative in which nearly 500 Americans will take part in a public reading, over the course of one week, of the entire Bible-from Genesis to Revelation-to celebrate 250 years of the Bible in America.”
He added: …”I applaud every citizen participating in the America Reads the Bible initiative. Together, we will honor Holy Scripture, renew our faith, usher in a historic resurgence of religion on American shores, and rededicate the United States as one Nation under God.”
The Pope Feud
Trump’s Bible reading comes after a public back-and-forth with the pope that dominated headlines this week.
On April 12, Trump attacked Leo on Truth Social, accusing the first American pope of being soft on crime, cozy with the left, and suggesting he owed his election to Trump. The criticism followed the pope’s consistent calls for peace amid the ongoing Iran war and his description of Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola, Leo sought to reframe the narrative.
“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects,” he said, stressing his peace preaching reflects the broader Gospel message and is not directed specifically at Trump. His remarks in Cameroon, he noted, were written two weeks before Trump’s criticism began. “It is not in my interest at all” to debate the president, he said, adding he would continue preaching the Gospel regardless.
The AI Jesus Images
The pope dispute was compounded when Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ-a robed figure healing a man, surrounded by a nurse and a soldier. He later deleted it, insisting it depicted him as a Red Cross doctor. “Only the fake news could come up with that one,” Trump told reporters Monday.
On April 15, Trump shared a second AI image-this one showing Jesus with his arms wrapped around Trump, an American flag in the background-writing that he thought it was “quite nice.”
The backlash cut across ideological lines. Former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene called the first image “blasphemy.” Meanwhile, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Candace Owens were among prominent conservative voices to criticize the president. Vice President JD Vance offered a defense, telling Fox News that Trump “took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case.”
What Happens Next
Trump’s Oval Office reading will be livestreamed via Great American Pure Flix.
The America Reads the Bible event runs April 19–25 at the Museum of the Bible, with daily readings from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. The opening celebration took place on April 18 at 7 p.m. at National Community Church.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 4:51 PM.