Republicans are out in force defending Donald Trump again, this time for an AI image the president shared (and then deleted) that appeared to depict him as Jesus (Trump claimed he thought the post showed him as a "doctor") — a follow-up to an angry tirade he posted on Truth Social attacking the Pope.

In the clip above, Jimmy Kimmel breaks down some of the ways right-wing politicians and pundits have been defending the president's post, culminating in JD Vance arguing that it was only a joke.

"He was posting a joke, you understand? And like all the best jokes it had to be explained and then deleted. First he was Jesus, then he wasn't Jesus, he was a doctor, and now it was a joke. Why did I get kicked off the air again, I can't remember?" Kimmel says. "This White House cannot even keep their lies straight."

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