Republican Congressman Troy Nehls from Texas’s 22nd district declared President Donald Trump ‘almost the second coming’ during an interview on Capitol Hill. The 58-year-old lawmaker, elected in 2021 and a staunch Trump supporter, responded to questions about Trump’s now-deleted AI-generated image portraying himself in a Jesus-like pose.

Nehls Defends the Image

Nehls dismissed criticism of the image, stating, ‘Come on, I think that’s all been taken out of context.’ When pressed, he added, ‘I believe that Donald Trump is better than sliced bread. I think he’s almost the second coming in my humble opinion. I think he’s done a fantastic job, he’s got a very difficult job.’

He also urged Pope Leo XIV to ‘stay out of the political arena’ following the pontiff’s remarks on the Iran conflict. Nehls has shown strong loyalty to Trump, including wearing a shirt featuring Trump’s Georgia mugshot during President Biden’s March 2024 State of the Union address. Three days after Trump’s inauguration, Nehls co-sponsored a bill to rename Dulles Airport in Virginia the ‘Donald J. Trump International Airport.’

The Viral Jesus-Like Image

On April 12, Trump shared an AI image on Truth Social depicting himself in red-and-white robes, appearing to heal the sick—a biblical reference to Jesus. The post followed backlash from Pope Leo XIV over Trump’s threats during the Iran war, including warnings that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ if Iran did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump quickly removed the image amid criticism from Catholics and some MAGA supporters. He later explained, ‘It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better,’ blaming media for the Jesus narrative.

Escalating Trump-Pope Tensions

The feud intensified after Pope Leo XIV condemned Trump’s April 7 threat against Iran as ‘truly unacceptable.’ The pope stated, ‘Today, as we all know, there was this threat against the entire people of Iran… People want peace.’ He called for citizens to urge leaders toward peace and labeled attacks on civilian infrastructure as violations of international law.

Trump fired back on Truth Social, accusing the pope of being ‘WEAK on crime’ and ‘terrible for Foreign Policy.’ He wrote, ‘I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon… And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.’

Pope Leo XIV stood firm, telling reporters en route to Algiers, ‘I don’t want to get into a debate with him. I will continue to speak out loudly against war.’ On Thursday, he posted on X: ‘Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.’

Fragile Ceasefires in the Region

A two-week ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran took effect on April 8, though tensions persist with Iran accusing U.S. Navy ships of blockading the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, a 10-day truce paused Israel’s bombing in Lebanon starting Thursday.