DONALD Trump posted a bizarre AI picture of him as the Pope after joking that he would be a top choice for the Pontiff.

The US President joked that he would like to become the next holy leader in an interview on Tuesday.

In the image posted on Truth Social Trump sits on a regal throne dressed in papal robes.

The US President has swapped his iconic red MAGA cap for the white papal crown, and wears a large crucifix around his neck.

The bizarre post comes after Trump joked that he would be a strong contender for the late Pontiff’s replacement.

Trump said: “I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice.”

When asked about who should succeed the late Pope Francis he said: “No, I don’t know, I have no preference.

“I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York, who’s very good.

“So we’ll see what happens.”

The New York cardinal in question is widely believed to be Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The Archbishop of New York is the only American considered a serious candidate.

A staunch conservative, Dolan has vocally opposed contraception and condemned the removal of controversial statues during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Dolan took his vows in 1976 and was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

While Trump’s remark was made in jest, it’s a technical impossibility.

The spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics must be elected from the College of Cardinals, and Trump is not – and never has been – a cardinal.

Currently, around 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to take part in the secretive election in the papal conclave, a centuries-old process steeped in tradition.

The cardinals will travel from around the world to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where the next leader of the Catholic Church will be chosen in a series of ballots.

While the process of choosing Francis’ successor is highly secretive, several cardinals have been identified as possible top contenders.

They include Italy’s Pietro Parolin, the Philippines’ Luis Antonio Tagle, Hungary’s Peter Erdo and Ghana’s Peter Turkson.

Pope Francis died last Monday aged 88 after fighting for his life in a “complex” health battle.

The pontiff had been hospitalised for weeks at the Gemelli hospital in Rome earlier this year after suffering a bout of bronchitis and double pneumonia.

He was discharged on March 23 after the 38-day stay, and was able to bless crowds of worshippers on Easter Sunday.

But just hours later, Vatican officials announced the leader of the Catholic Church had passed away.

Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement at the time: “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father.

“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.”