US President Trump`s social media post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure has sparked fierce backlash from factions of his conservative and Christian base, who called the image blasphemous and urged the president to remove it.

The US president - who ultimately deleted the post Monday amid the scrutiny - posted the image on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, shortly after attacking Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, in what one Republican strategist called a "one-two punch of attacking the Pope and then insulting all Christians."

"If you`re a conservative Christian, you don`t like this," said Doug Heye, a former Republican National Committee communications director, in an interview with The Hill.

"You`ve been fully invested in the Trump presidency for a long time now, but this goes too far for you," Heye continued. "And we know that he knows that because he deleted it."

The image, which is rendered as a painting, shows Trump in the center, dressed in a long white robe with a red shawl draped over his shoulders. In his left hand, the president holds an orb of light as he looks down at his right hand, which is placed on the forehead of a man whose eyes are closed as he lies down in what appears to be a hospital bed. Light is illuminated around the sick man`s head as it makes contact with the president`s hand.

Surrounding the president, and in the background of the painting, are numerous patriotic images: the American flag, two eagles, U.S. troops, and the Statue of Liberty.

The post, sent on Orthodox Easter, immediately angered many conservative Christians, who have historically been some of the president`s most loyal followers but who came out in waves to slam the post as blasphemous.

"I don`t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy," Megan Basham, a prominent conservative Christian journalist, wrote in a post on the social platform X, responding to Trump`s image.

"But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God," she continued.

Conservative political commentator Cam Higby said on X, "Blasphemy from the Oval Office is not a funny troll."

"I support Trump, and I spend 8 hours a day defending him. I will not defend blasphemy. Just correct it and move on. You don`t have to defend it. You don`t have to stop supporting him because you call it out," he added in a subsequent post. "God > politics."

Republican Christian influencer Brilyn Hollyhand said he was "pretty frustrated" by Trump`s image and with the president for "comparing yourself, even jokingly, to Jesus," saying, "It undermines the very value that many of us hold dear" and "hands easy ammunition to critics."

"Faith is not a prop, and we shouldn`t laugh at it being used as one," Hollyhand said. "There`s innocent humor, and then there`s this. You don`t need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself."

David Brody, chief political analyst for the Christian Broadcast Network, responded to the image by saying on X, "TAKE THIS DOWN, MR. PRESIDENT."

"You`ve been credited with doing tons right since that ride down the golden escalator in 2015-defending Judeo-Christian values and taking hits for it. That`s great," he continued. "But this isn`t just some meme we laugh off and scroll past. It deserves a response."

"You`re not God. None of us are. This goes too far. It crosses the line. A supporter can back the mission AND reject this simultaneously. Take it down," he added.

Trump removed the post midday on Monday and told reporters that the image that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ was actually the president appearing as a doctor healing people.

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support," Trump told reporters outside of the Oval Office.

"Only the fake news could come up with that one," he continued. "I just heard about it, and I said how did they come up with that? It`s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better and I do make people better."

Deleting the post slowed the onslaught of criticism the president had been facing, but his explanation did not sit well with many supporters.

"Oh thank god," right-wing podcast host Tim Pool wrote on X, responding to Trump`s response. "I was worried Trump thought of himself as Jesus," he added, before going on to describe Trump using an ableist slur.

"Was worried for a second," he added.

Basham, who blasted the initial post, said she was glad to see the post was deleted but would not say whether she believed the president.

"I didn`t say whether the explanation was plausible. I just posted his explanation," she wrote in a post, responding to a follower who called Trump`s defense "ridiculous."

"My assumption is that he is an unbeliever," the conservative journalist added in another post.

But the episode has some political observers concerned about the long-term effects on the base.

"This has gone down very badly with many of Trump`s biggest cheerleaders. He seems to be on a mission to piss off absolutely everyone, for reasons that are beyond my understanding given his current approval numbers," Piers Morgan said on X.

One GOP strategist told The Hill that "The combination of this graphic along with the trashing of the Pope is astonishing to many Republicans."

"Trump deciding to take down the post should calm everyone down, but it reinforces the feeling that the White House remains distracted from talking about affordability and the economy which is what voters truly care about," he continued.

Heye said he`s concerned about the consequences going into the midterms.

"We`re at a point in the calendar where we`re counting down days till Election Day. And here`s another week - there aren`t that many weeks left that Republicans can afford to not be focused on what they need to be focused on," Heye said.

"And this isn`t a mistake that the Speaker is making or [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune or any other Republican except for Donald Trump, and he`s proactively making those mistakes."

Heye said frustration in the GOP at the post extends beyond just Christian conservatives, who he said are understandably outraged by Trump`s post "because he posted himself as Christ."

"But anybody who`s got a tight race right now doesn`t need distractions from Donald Trump," Heye continued. "They need him helping, you know, push things in the direction that voters are saying very clearly that they care about, and it`s just another example of him being unwilling to do so."