Trump reads from Bible in Oval Office in taped message for Christian group

Reciting of Old Testament passage comes days after clash with pope and posting AI image of himself as Jesus

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Donald Trump read a Bible passage from the Old Testament during a Tuesday event billed as a celebration of the US’s founding, days after he clashed with Pope Leo XIV and upset some of his religious supporters by posting an AI-generated image appearing to depict himself as Jesus.

The event, titled America Reads the Bible, was imagined as a “sacred opportunity to call our nation back to its spiritual foundation”, according to its website.