President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed the backlash against an AI-generated image of him as the pope posted by the White House on social media, saying it was a harmless joke, but communications experts said they did not see the funny side.

Donald Trump has denied any involvement in publishing an AI image depicting him as the Pope - despite it being posted on his own social media account. The stunt has drawn sharp criticism from Catholic leaders and members of the public as the Vatican looks to appoint a new leader following Francis’s death last month.