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Since Jesus Christ departed over two millennia, some have proclaimed themselves as the Jesus who promised to return. In this tribe are also those like Donald Trump who present themselves in the image of Jesus; in his holiness, solving human problems.
In Nigeria, was a man, Emmanuel Olufunmilayo Odumosu, a professional carpenter like Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. He shared the same first name as Jesus.
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Claiming to be the universal saviour, in 1955 he proclaimed to the world: “I am He. I am Jesus Christ, the very one whose second coming was foretold in the New Testament. I have come, and those who believe in me will have an everlasting life and joy. I am the missing of the trinity. I have come to prepare the faithful for the judgement day.” As believers answered his call, he built a commune. Some faithful sold their earthly belongings and moved to the commune. Sex was quite liberal in the commune as he was accused of sexual relations with even siblings.
He also believed in capitalism, setting up various businesses and using the labour of the believers. The commune was originally in Oyingbo area of Lagos. Hence, he was popularly known as Jesu Oyingbo or Jesus of Oyingbo. In later years, he moved it to the Maryland area where visitors were welcome with statues and buildings with inscriptions like “Immanuel the Christ” “Lion of Judah” “Prince of Peace”. In 1988, Jesu Oyingbo passed on. When he did not rise after a period, his followers left and the commune collapsed. I am not sure if there is still anybody waiting for his return.
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Before Jesu Oyingbo was John Nichols Thom, a British politician who was sent to prison for three years for perjury in a smuggling case. In 1834, he emerged to proclaim himself the “saviour of the world” and Jesus Christ reincarnate.
He gathered followers, especially agricultural labourers and artisans whom he promised a redistribution of wealth and a new world. As his army grew, a local magistrate ordered his arrest for inciting people to leave their work and roam around with him. On 31May , 1938, Thom and eight of his disciples fell in an armed battle with a detachment of the British 45th Infantry. Just as in the times of Jesus, the establishment simply could not tolerate a challenge to its powers. Thom has since remained dead.
Arnold Potter, born in New York, was like fellow American, Donald Trump, not originally born as Jesus. Rather, he claimed he was later possessed by the spirit of Jesus Christ; so, he became “Potter Christ” the Son of the living God.
In 1872, he announced to his followers that the time had come for him to ascent into Heaven. He rode a donkey to the cliffs from which he leapt. But rather than ascend, he descended to his death, never to rise again.
Some of those who proclaimed themselves to be Jesus also claim some divine origins. For instance, Krishna Venta of San Francisco claimed he was the leader of a convoy of rocket ships from a fictional planet, Neophrates. On December 10, 1958, two of his followers suicide-bombed for allegedly being intimate with their wives, and stealing cult funds. It is difficult to say whether Venta returned to Neophrates or may appear on Judgement Day.
Donald, the son of Trump’s sense of messianism, and comparing himself with Jesus Christ was apparent in 2025 when he demanded to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The White House had put an official seal on this demand with its Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declaring: “President Trump has now ended conflicts between Thailand and Cambodia, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Pakistan, Serbia and Kosovo, and Egypt and Ethiopia … it is well past time that Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
When his demand was ignored Trump sent a January 18, 2026 message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped eight Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
So, he turned to the Prince of War with his administration couching war as God-sanctioned. But Pope Leo XIV would have none of this. In his 2026 Palm Sunday homily, the Pope told humanity that Jesus, the king of Peace, rejects wars and would not listen to the prayers of those who wage wars and whose hands are full of blood.
The Pope suggested that the US-Israeli war in Iran, is fuelled by a “delusion of omnipotence”.
An enraged Trump responded: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States.”
He then made direct attacks on the person of the Pope: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican…Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”
To Trump, the Pope is a mere earthly figure while he Trump is a messiah like Jesus. So, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Trump posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, descending from Heaven with light in his left hand and performing a divine healing of a man.
The next day, the Pope who arrived in Algeria, did not seem interested in Trump’s claims, including to being a messiah or appropriating the image of Jesus Christ. He said his focus is to find solutions to problems.
On attacks on his person by Trump, Leo said: “I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do.”
A worldwide backlash, including amongst his America First followers has forced Trump to take down his posting making claims to messianism. He tried to play down his act: “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support.”
But these are likely to be the first steps in his journey to being the Jesus of Washington.
Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.
