Scott Rettberg
Trump Jesus
Scott Rettberg
Scott Rettberg
In April 2026, Donald Trump distributed a meme portraying himself as Jesus Christ (though he claimed he thought it depicted him as a doctor). I would describe this meme as a "shallow fake." While no one in their right mind would believe that Trump were actually the Christ, nor his claim that the image was not sacrilegious, I believe it was meant to serve as propaganda and to reaffirm a certain image of the populist authoritarian president -- that as a survivor of multiple assasination attempts, Trump is somehow blessed by God. In May 2026, I responded with this work of counter-slop, where I ask the serious question: what if Trump really were the savior? What would that look like, and what would it mean?