US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope, prompting accusations of poor taste in the Roman Catholic community just days before the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor is due to begin.

It’s sad both for the White House and for the president,” one cardinal said. “I mean, he makes themselves ridiculous, right?”

Donald Trump has been called “a clown” for posting an image of himself as the pope.The AI-generated picture caused anger ahead of this week’s gathering of cardinals to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church.