(RNS) — Is Donald Trump the Antichrist?
That question has been on a lot of people’s mind in recent weeks — mainly due to the president’s nonstop social media feed, which included posting an Easter message that used the f-word and a mocking “Praise to Allah,” an ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV and an AI-generated image of Trump as Jesus, which critics and followers alike denounced as blasphemous.
It was on the mind of conservative author Rod Dreher this week, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“Not saying Trump is the Antichrist,” Dreher said. “But he’s radiating the spirit of Antichrist, no question.”
Guessing identity of the Antichrist — a term that comes from the New Testament letters of 1st and 2nd John — has been around almost since the beginning of Christianity.
Among more recent candidates are Franklin D. Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini, Ronald Reagan and Vladimir Putin. In the 1990s, some evangelicals argued that Saddam Hussein could be the Antichrist, in part based on claims he was attempting to rebuild ancient Babylon. Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress once argued that Barack Obama could prepare the way for the Antichrist because of his support for same-sex marriage.
“I’m not saying the president is an evil man who’s trying to destroy our society, but Americans are willingly giving up their freedom for what they’re told is a greater good,” he told RNS in 2014. “A future world dictator will assume power under the guise of the greater good of the world.”
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— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 3, 2025
While it is not uncommon for Trump to share AI-generated images of himself, such as one depicting him as the pope last May, his latest posts have drawn angry reactions from evangelicals who are among the most ardent T …