Trump’s staunch supporters are now wondering if he is the Antichrist

In order For days, MAGA media figures have shifted from defending President Donald Trump to President Donald Trump God’s chosen leader To prove that he is in fact the Antichrist.

The accusations came to a head Sunday night after Trump to publish An AI-generated image depicts himself wearing a white robe and red scarf and placing a hand radiating golden light on a man in a hospital bed. The image, which Trump deleted from Truth Social about 14 hours later, appeared to invoke Jesus Christ, and angered some supporters who likened Trump’s behavior to the Antichrist — a figure in Christian theology who opposes Christ and whose appearance many believe could herald the end of time.

Key figures in the MAGA world spoke quickly. “It’s more than just blasphemy. It’s the spirit of the Antichrist,” said former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene Published to X Sunday.

“In the space of 18 months, I went from reluctantly voting for Trump to thinking there was a good chance he was the Antichrist.” He added Clint Russell, host of the right-wing show Liberty Lockdown.

“I honestly believe that Trump is currently possessed by the devil,” said far-right Texas pastor Joel Webbon. Written on X. Hours later, Webun hosted a live stream where he and several others debated: “Is Donald Trump the Antichrist?”

The Knights Templar, a Christian organization based on a medieval military order, books From the post that they “had no other choice but to condemn him wholeheartedly and demand a public apology.”

For more than a decade, Trump and his supporters have used overt religious rhetoric and imagery to mobilize his base. But in recent weeks, some of Trump’s actions — from posts about the Vatican to messages about Iran published on Easter — have caused a major divide among his supporters that could have lasting effects on him and the Republican Party.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. During a press conference on Monday, Trump denied that the photo depicted him as Jesus, telling reporters that he believed the photo depicted him as a doctor. “I’m supposed to be a doctor, making people better,” Trump told reporters.

Many MAGA influencers have been claiming that Trump is the Antichrist for some time. Conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, in a 43-minute clip Opening monologue On his show last Monday, he suggested that the administration’s war in Iran was also a war on the Christian faith. Carlson made the video in response to A.J Social truth A post from Trump on Easter in which the president threatened to destroy important infrastructure in Iran. (“Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll live in hell,” Trump wrote. “Just watch! Thank God.”) Although he never uttered the word “anti-Christ” during the video, MAGA media figures Like Alex Jones to Users A member of the subreddit Donald Trump 666 thought Carlson was insinuating that Trump is the Antichrist.

This speech represents an important departure for Carlson. Although it has become More important From the president And its management Recently, Carlson has long used religious language supportively when it comes to Trump. in 2024 Republican National ConventionCarlson claimed that Trump survived the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt “Divine intervention.”

As Trump claimed Divine intervention After he survived the assassination attempt, as did many of his allies. Trump’s public comparisons of himself to a messianic figure helped bring MAGA to this breaking point, Robert Jones, president and founder of the Public Institute for Religion Research, tells WIRED. “The reason people resort to the ‘antichrist label’ is because Trump has paved the way for it himself,” Jones says.