Comedian Jon Stewart mocks Trump’s ‘Jesus’ meme, jokes about resembling ‘sick man’ in viral image

Washington: A controversial AI-generated image shared by US President Donald Trump has triggered backlash and satire online, with comedian Jon Stewart delivering one of the sharpest reactions.

The now-deleted image depicted Mr Trump in a Christ-like avatar — dressed in white robes with a red sash — appearing to heal a frail man lying in bed. The stylised visual also included patriotic imagery such as American flags, bald eagles and fighter jets, along with a winged figure in the background.

Reacting to the image on The Daily Show, Mr Stewart appeared visibly stunned before turning the moment into a comedic segment.

“What the f—?” he said, pausing repeatedly as he reacted to the image.

The comedian then joked about what he described as an uncanny resemblance between himself and the “sick man” in the visual.

Watch the video here:

In a series of self-deprecating remarks, he quipped that while he may no longer have the energy of his younger years, he “didn’t realise” his appearance had deteriorated to that extent. He added that the image left him “freaked out”, while mocking the exaggerated elements in the AI-generated scene.

The post drew criticism from sections of the public, including some religious voices who called the depiction inappropriate and offensive.

The use of artificial intelligence to portray a political leader as a religious figure has also raised broader concerns about the role of AI-generated content in shaping public perception and discourse.

Mr Trump later deleted the image but defended sharing it, saying he initially believed it showed him “as a doctor” linked to humanitarian work.

The controversy comes days after Mr Trump’s remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV, whom he criticised as being “soft on crime” and weak on foreign policy.

Mr Stewart referenced these comments during his segment, noting that they had already drawn criticism before the image added to the backlash.

Trump ⁠denied on Monday that the image was intended to show him as a Jesus-like figure, Reuters reported.

"It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better, and I do make people better," he told reporters at the White House, soon after ​the post was deleted.

Brendan McMahon, an art history professor at the University of Michigan, found that explanation "highly suspicious" given that the image depicts another figure in scrubs, and because Trump is depicted bathed in a bright light used to signify the divine ​in countless works of religious art through various centuries. Light also emanates from Trump's hands in the image.

"It's borrowing from this long tradition of Christian imagery with Christ as healer," McMahon said. "Style-wise, it seems like it's gesturing towards social realism of the interwar period in the States, like WPA murals, imagery about enfranchising working-class Americans."