AN EXTRAORDINARY CONFLUENCE of two of the biggest controversies of Donald Trump’s second term – the Epstein files and the brutal tactics employed by ICE in fulfilling his mass deportation diktat – have landed a brand-new communications crisis on the Resolute Desk, even as the beleaguered US President struggles to shake off the all-consuming debacle of the US war on Iran, whilst conducting a damage limitation exercise following his public spat with Pope Leo.

The inciting incident in the latest twist of the couldn’t-make-this-stuff-up White House reality show features First Lady Melania Trump at its front and centre. Her perplexing delivery of an unprompted public rebuttal, in which she denied having being part of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking circle, was blown from the public discourse by her husband’s decision to eviscerate Pope Leo in a Truth Social post. 

The First Lady made an unexpected statement regarding her interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

He later followed that by posting an AI-generated image of the US President in a Christ-like representation where he appeared to comfort a sick man as US military figures fix him with a reverent gaze and fighter jets hover in the background.

This image of Trump as Christ so offended American evangelicals that even the Knights Templar International, whose online posts normally feature bloodthirsty reenactments of Crusade battles, took time out from celebrating the multiple massacres of non-Christians to post a demand on X that ‘this offensive and blasphemous image be removed forthwith!”

Trump's controversial AI-Jesus post. Truth Social Truth Social

In an even more surreal twist, this post was followed by one promising all new Knights Templar members a free Crusader battle flag and welcome pack, complete with their ‘Deus Vult’ logo, which is also tattooed on Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s right forearm.

A somewhat chastised Trump removed the post on Monday, telling reporters the image of the US President in biblical robes with orbs of light coming from his hands ‘was supposed to be me as a doctor, helping people to feel better.’ To paraphrase the Hollywood caveat, ‘Any resemblance to Jesus, either living or dead, was entirely unintentional.’

It’s unclear why Trump thought cosplaying Jesus while attacking the Pope for being ‘soft on crime’ and ‘terrible at foreign policy’ – as though he were the Democratic opponent of a mid-ranking Republican in the forthcoming midterms – was a good idea. The miscalculation may be a sign of his determination to head........

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