Donald Trump Kisses a Golden Crucifix on Truth Social

Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social on August 1 showing him kissing a golden crucifix against an American flag backdrop, part of a series of self-aggrandizing images. Karen Elizabeth Park of Ex Voto analyzed the image, noting that Trump remains physically above Christ and kisses his head, and that the combination with the flag recasts Christianity as an American phenomenon, reflecting Christian nationalism.

In the years to come, historians and scholars will have a wealth of imagery to aid them in their efforts to make sense of Donald Trump’s political legacy and mental state , thanks in large part to the man’s self-aggrandizement and social media habits. Trump is prone to fits and bursts of posting activity during which he’ll share a slew of bizarre images and videos — many of them AI-generated — that flow directly out of his ego, vanity, and hubris. To date, we’ve seen Trump dropping poop on protesters https://opus.ing/posts/trump-social-media-poop-no-kings-protesters , imagining himself as the pope https://opus.ing/posts/pope-trump , and employing some blasphemy while depicting himself as a Christ-like figure with healing powers https://opus.ing/p/donald-trump-commits-blasphemy . But a recent torrent on August 1, which also included images of Trump as Elvis https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117021731048623726 and a general in the Revolutionary War https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117021606854677237 , contained a particularly astonishing image of the president holding and kissing a golden crucifix https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117021563160419197 with an American flag serving as the backdrop. Like so many things related to Trump, it’s tacky and gaudy https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/01/trump-oval-office-gold-before-after-decor-white-house-makeover , the hollow aesthetic of man so pre-occupied with projecting wealth and power that he leaves no room for beauty, dignity, or taste. But as with his other religious-themed posts, Trump’s crucifix-kissing AI slop is disturbing on a deeper level for the extent to which it co-opts Christian symbolism for blatantly political and self-serving ends. Ex Voto ’s Karen Elizabeth Park https://karenelizabethpark.substack.com/p/trump-kisses-the-crucifix has done an excellent job unpacking the various aspects of Trump’s crucifix image. After explaining the significance behind the crucifix and its veneration, she turns to Trump’s image and its layout, and specifically, how Trump is positioned relative to the crucifix. Trump does not lower himself before the crucified Christ. Instead, he grasps grabs? the crucifix, much as he grasped the flag at CPAC, and brings it to himself, remaining physically above Christ throughout. It may seem like a small compositional detail, but it fundamentally changes the theological meaning of the image. Height, gesture, and posture all communicate relationships of authority and devotion, and since Trump neverlowers himself it is Christ who must appear beneath Trump — not the other way around.Also, the kiss itself is significant. In the Good Friday liturgy, the traditional focus of veneration is the crucified body, especially the wounds of the feet. But here Trump affectionately kisses Christ on the head, like one would do to a pet or a child. Park also addresses the fact that the image features Trump embracing both the crucifix and the American flag. You might recall that Trump already has a history of kissing the flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOSaJhRDCDI . T he crucifix is universal.It has nothing to do with national identity. Catholics in Nigeria, Poland, Brazil, India, Mexico, and the United States all venerate the same crucified Christ. The cross belongs to no single nation because it points beyond them all. But the American flag marks the boundaries of a particular nation and a particular political community. So when Trump places the crucifix in front of the American flag, he changes what they signify. Instead of the nation standing beneath the cross, the cross is absorbed into the nation. In this image, the universal becomes national and therefore it should be understood as part of a broader effort within Christian nationalism to recast Christianity as an American phenomenon rather than a universal one. Her conclusion? Trump’s image “borrows the outward appearance of Christian Catholic devotion while fundamentally altering its meaning. Instead of drawing the viewer into the suffering of Christ, every element of this AI composition returns us to not to Christ on the cross, but to the man holding the golden object ” emphasis mine . In a more sane and less-interesting time, Trump’s social media slop would be little more than humorous meme-fodder. In our present timeline, however, they’re the sad ramblings of a man who’s clearly gone off the deep end, and who doesn’t have anyone in his life who’s willing to call him out or speak wisdom and caution into his ear. At the very least, one would hope that Trump’s own Faith Office https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/establishment-of-the-white-house-faith-office/ would instruct him even just a little bit on decorum concerning Christian imagery, and especially imagery involving the cross and Christ’s crucifixion. Sadder still, there will undoubtedly be many self-professing Christians who will see Trump’s image as something to praise and celebrate. They’ll cite it as proof of Trump’s Christian faith and his support for Christianity instead of acknowledging the truth: that Trump’s image A seeks to conflate the Christian faith with the United States of America and B provides further proof that Donald Trump loves nothing and no one as much as he loves himself. Opus ? Want to support my writing? Become a subscriber for just $5/month or $50/year . Subscribe Today https://opus.substack.com/subscribe