12 May For Gen Z, Trump’s AI ‘Jesus’ Post Was More Exhausting Than Shocking

(Photo by Joeyy Lee on Unsplash)

Commentary, Arianna Caramagno

For much of Gen Z, navigating today’s political landscape can be exhausting. In a political climate shaped by misinformation, inaction and broken promises, many members of younger generations have unsurprisingly adopted a growing attitude of skepticism toward most people in power.

But Gen Z’s lack of surprise regarding President Donald Trump’s recent AI “Jesus” controversy is a testament to their deep rooted distrust of political figures who are more focused on furthering their own agendas than helping people.

On April 12, Trump posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure where he appeared to be healing the sick. The image, which has since been deleted, sparked backlash from many social media users who called the post disrespectful and narcissistic. On the very same day, Trump made another post on his social media platform attacking Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff spoke out against war.

For many young people, however, the controversy itself was not surprising.

Aside from being generally controversial, the AI image and Trump’s criticisms of the pope directly contradict many of Trump’s own supposed values. Before he was elected for his second term as president in 2024, he ran most of his campaign promoting conservative Christian ideals. Trump’s AI post is also at odds with the fact that he currently supports many Christian faith-based organizations and in the past made claims that he would fight “anti-Christian” bias for his supporters.

But for many members of Gen Z, the president’s paradoxical actions when it comes to religion are simply another addition to a long history of letdowns from politicians who have not stayed true to their word. If anything, the reaction to the contradiction underscored by Trump’s AI-generated image and his claims has revealed that younger generations are keenly aware of the way politicians abuse their platforms instead of addressing the concerns of the general public.

Alexia Cruz, a senior at San Francisco State who lives in El Sobrante, said she viewed the controversy as a distraction from larger issues like the U.S. war with Iran.

“I think Trump’s AI post and criticism of the pope is distasteful. I also think it is a distraction [from] the war … and how this war is taking innocent lives,” said Cruz.

Additionally, the fact that much of the discourse surrounding Trump’s post is taking place online is no coincidence. Gen Z’s growing skepticism of politicians has been partly shaped by digital access to information via social media. However, using the internet as an informative tool is a double-edged sword, namely due to the spread of misinformation and AI content.

Although some social media platforms like X and Instagram say they have been trying to implement anti-misinformation software, they often fail to fully stop the spread of misleading posts, especially about those in leadership. With AI now capable of producing extremely real-looking images, videos and speech, the ability to differentiate accurate information from misinformation has become more difficult than ever.

>>>Read: Visual Disinformation Can Be Especially Persuasive, Expert Warns<<<

Auden Meyer, a UC Berkeley senior and editor in chief of the nonpartisan, student-run political magazine The Dialectic, says that part of the skepticism of youth comes from social media.

“I think the growth of news and social media, as well as the politicians who have recently had the most influence, has led to decreased trust by the youth in political figures,” said Meyer.

“There is too much misinformation, disinformation, and conflicting descriptions of politicians, as well as biased news and social media feeds that turn into a nonstop algorithm.”

Generative AI’s capabilities also mean that most members of Gen Z are forced to think twice about who they trust and the motivations behind who they get their information from. But it would be impossible to solely blame social media for their lack of confidence in politicians.

>>>Read: Political News Is in Its ‘Double-Checking Era’<<<

Ultimately, Gen Z trusts those who take action instead of settling for false promises.

Nam Dao, a senior at Berkeley and the events director for The Dialectic, have decided to prioritize direct action from those in power over verbal agreements.

“I look at headlines, at media for political figures to determine where someone lies on the political spectrum,” said Dao. “Then, I try my best to follow their legislation or other political output to see how productive they are in accomplishing their goals.”

Younger generations are keenly aware that some politicians are using their platforms as a means for financial gain rather than serving their communities.

Cruz added that financial motivations often make it harder to trust elected officials.

“I think I would trust people in power when the things that they are advocating are not benefiting them in any financial way,” said Cruz.

Overall, while Gen Z’s lack of surprise regarding Trump’s “Jesus” post on Truth Social may be an isolated example of young people’s growing skepticism, their reactions are only part of a deeper dissatisfaction with those in power. Unless those who hold power start taking action and prioritize staying true to their words, it is unlikely that Gen Z will change their skeptical attitudes.