Check me on this.

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers. I know there are a lot of people who are going to say I’m overreacting. But I think what happened this past week with President Trump and those AI-generated images needs to be addressed head-on, especially by believers.

Here’s what went down. On Sunday, April 12th, President Trump posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social that appeared to show him dressed in a white robe and red sash, with a ball of light in one hand and the other hand pressed against the forehead of a man in a hospital bed. The imagery was unmistakable. It looked exactly like a depiction of Jesus Christ healing the sick.

The backlash was swift. And it didn’t just come from the left. It came from his own supporters.

Conservative commentator Megan Basham didn’t hold back:

And she wasn’t alone. Riley Gaines, one of the most outspoken conservative voices in the country right now, had this to say:

Even former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the president’s fiercest allies for years, called it “blasphemy” and said she was “very offended” as a Christian.

That’s significant. When your most loyal supporters are using the word blasphemy to describe something you posted, it’s time to stop and reflect.

Now here’s where it gets even more interesting. The image was deleted. Good. But then came the explanation, and I’ll be honest, this is the part that bothered me the most.

President Trump told reporters he thought the image showed him “as a doctor” helping someone associated with the Red Cross. He said, “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”

I respect this president on a lot of things. But come on. A white robe and a glowing orb of light? That’s not a doctor. Everyone knows what that image was meant to depict.

Then, as if the controversy wasn’t enough, he posted another AI-generated image a few days later. This one showed Jesus Christ embracing him at a podium in front of an American flag, with a caption suggesting “God might be playing his Trump card.”

Franklin Graham came to the president’s defense, saying he doesn’t believe Trump would “knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ” and calling the backlash “a lot to do about nothing.”

I have enormous respect for Franklin Graham. But I have to respectfully disagree here. This isn’t nothing. And Christians of all people should be the first ones willing to say so.

Here’s why.

Scripture is very clear about this kind of thing. Exodus 20:3-4 says: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above.”

No political leader, no matter how much good they do, should ever be placed in the visual language of divinity. Period. That’s not a partisan statement. That’s a biblical one.

And look, I want to be fair. I voted for this president. I support many of his policies. I believe God can use imperfect leaders to accomplish His purposes. The Bible is full of examples. But there’s a line between acknowledging that God works through flawed human beings and depicting a human being as God.

That line got crossed.

The good news? Millions of Christians saw it and said so immediately. That tells me something encouraging about the state of the church in America right now. The Body of Christ is not asleep. Believers are paying attention, and they’re not willing to put any man, not even one they support politically, above the Lord.

That’s exactly how it should be.

If you’re a believer reading this, let me encourage you: stay grounded. Support leaders when they do right. Hold them accountable when they don’t. And never, ever let politics become your religion.

Jesus Christ is Lord. No AI image changes that. No Truth Social post replaces that. And no political figure, however powerful, gets to borrow His identity.

Sound off in the comments below. Do you think the backlash was justified, or was it overblown? I want to hear from you!