In a recent interview on Capitol Hill, Republican Congressman Troy Nehls made waves by likening former President Donald Trump to “almost the second coming” of Jesus Christ.

Nehls, who represents Texas’s 22nd congressional district, shared these remarks during a conversation with CNN journalist Manu Raju. The topic arose after Trump shared, and then removed, an AI-generated image that seemingly portrayed him as Jesus.

“I think that’s all been taken out of context,” Nehls responded when questioned about the image by Raju.

“Is it?” Raju questioned further, seeking clarity.

In defense of his statement, Nehls elaborated, “In my view, Donald Trump is as remarkable as sliced bread. I believe he’s nearly the second coming. He’s handled a tough job incredibly well.”

Additionally, Nehls criticized Pope Leo XIV, advising him to avoid political involvement, following the Pope’s recent comments against Trump’s stance on the Iran conflict.

MAGA congressman stands firm amid Trump-Pope clash

Nehls, who was elected in 2021, has emerged as one of Trump’s most ardent defenders and supporters. 

During Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in March 2024, Nehls wore a shirt that had Trump’s Georgia mugshot on it.

Three days after Trump was inaugurated, he co-sponsored a bill that, if passed, would rename Dulles Airport in Virginia the ‘Donald J. Trump International Airport’.

Trump’s feud with Pope Leo began last week, when the pontiff condemned the president’s warning that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ if Iran failed to meet his deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

‘Today, as we all know, there was this threat against the entire ​people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,’ the pope said on April 7.

‘People want peace,’ he added. ‘I would invite the citizens ​of all the ​countries involved to ⁠contact the authorities – political leaders, congressmen – to ask them to work for peace.’

Pope Leo also said attacks on civilian infrastructure ‘are against international law’. Trump had previously threatened to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran.

On April 12, Trump posted a lengthy statement to Truth Social accusing Pope Leo of being ‘WEAK on crime’ and ‘terrible for Foreign Policy’.

‘I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,’ Trump wrote, adding, ‘And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.’

The next day, Trump followed this up by posting an AI-generated image of himself in red-and-white robes. He appeared to be healing the sick with his hands, something Jesus was said to have done in the Bible.

Trump quickly deleted the post after it prompted strong backlash from Catholics and even religious MAGA supporters.

President hits out at ‘fake news’ amid Pope clash

When asked about it, Trump said he thought the image ‘was me as a doctor’.

‘It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better,’ he said, faulting the ‘fake news’ media for supposedly coming up with the narrative that he was being depicted as a Jesus-like figure.

The pope refused to back down from his anti-war stance and said he has ‘no fear’ of Trump.

‘I don’t want to get into a debate with him,’ the pope told reporters aboard a flight to Algiers on Monday. ‘I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.’

The pope was even more clear with a post on X on Thursday morning, though he did not mention Trump by name.

‘Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,’ he wrote.

The United States, Israel and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 8. The truce is considered incredibly fragile, and Iran has accused the US Navy of violating the agreement by continuing its blockade of Iranian ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

A separate 10-day ceasefire went into effect on Thursday to pause Israel’s bombing campaign in Lebanon.

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