For many Christians, Holy Week is a period of deep spiritual reflection, marked by solemn worship and repentance in anticipation of Easter Sunday. However, during this sacred time, Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, engaged in actions that have sparked controversy and concern, particularly among devout Christians. These actions, notably comparing himself to Jesus Christ, raise critical questions about the intersection of religion and politics, and the potential for blasphemy in the modern public sphere.
Trump’s Holy Monday Self-Comparison to Christ
On Holy Monday, while attending court proceedings related to alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump shared a striking comparison. He “re-Truthed” a message from a follower on his Truth Social platform that equated his persecution to that of Jesus Christ. The post declared, “It’s ironic that Christ walked through His greatest persecution the very week they are trying to steal your property from you.”
This message incorporated a quote from Psalm 109:3-8, a passage invoking divine punishment upon false accusers. By sharing this, Trump positioned himself as an innocent victim, drawing a parallel to Jesus’ suffering. The verse, stopping at verse eight, includes a plea to God to shorten the days of the accuser and have another take their office. This excerpt, further amplified by an American flag icon within the scriptural quote, was endorsed by Trump with the words: “Received this morning–Beautiful, thank you!”
The Problematic Use of Psalm 109
The selection of Psalm 109 is particularly noteworthy. These verses have been previously weaponized by white Christian nationalist groups against political opponents, notably during the Obama era. While the quoted section ends at verse 8, the broader context of Psalm 109, which Trump’s supporters are likely aware of, quickly descends into violent and vengeful language. Verses 9-10 read:
Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.
The danger lies in the seemingly subtle yet potent message embedded in Trump’s endorsement of this text as “beautiful.” For some white evangelical Americans, these verses have been twisted into prayers for the demise not only of political figures like Barack Obama and Joe Biden but also for the suffering of their families. This strategic deployment of scripture, akin to Trump’s inflammatory “bloodbath” rhetoric, provides a veneer of deniability while simultaneously inciting violent sentiments among his white Christian nationalist base.
Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bible” and Holy Tuesday Grift
The day after comparing himself to Jesus, on Holy Tuesday, Trump began promoting a “$60 God Bless the USA Bible.” His promotion on X (formerly Twitter) included the message: “Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.” In a promotional video, flanked by American flags and reading from a teleprompter, Trump asserted:
This [God Bless the USA Bible] is very important, very important to me. A lot of people have it. You have to have it, for your heart, for your soul…. All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book. It’s a lot of people’s favorite book. This Bible is a reminder is that the biggest thing we have to bring back America, to make American great again, is our religion…. Christians are under siege but must protect content that is pro-God. We love God, and we have to protect anything that is pro-God. We must defend God in the public square and not allow the media or the left-wing groups to silence, censor, or discriminate against us. We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and back into what will be again a great nation.
This “God Bless the USA Bible” epitomizes Trump’s brand of white Christian nationalism. It is a physical manifestation of this ideology, binding the King James Version of the Bible with foundational American documents like the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA.” This amalgamation, as noted by Jemar Tisby, has roots in reactionary sentiments against the Black Lives Matter movement.
Furthermore, reports indicate that Trump is profiting financially from this venture through a royalty deal via CIC Ventures LLC, a company linked to his other merchandise, including gold sneakers and NFT trading cards. This commercialization of faith, particularly during Holy Week, transforms a sacred period into a marketing opportunity.
Blasphemy and the Silence of Christians
Trump’s actions during Holy Week – comparing himself to Jesus and selling a politicized Bible – are not isolated incidents. They are consistent with his past rhetoric, including claims of being a “savior” figure for his followers. In a speech to white evangelical broadcasters, he invoked the concept of substitutionary atonement, stating, “I’ve been very busy fighting and, you know, taking the, the bullets, taking the arrows. I’m taking ’em for you. And I’m so honored to take ’em. You have no idea. I’m being indicted for you….”
These actions, taken together, raise serious theological concerns. Christian theology has a term for claiming divine attributes or treating sacred things with contempt: blasphemy. Trump’s self-comparison to Jesus, coupled with the commercialization of the Bible for personal gain, can be interpreted as blasphemous, particularly within the context of Holy Week.
The most concerning aspect, however, might be the muted response from Christians, especially white evangelical Christians who are often seen as Trump’s staunchest supporters. The silence in the face of such actions during the holiest week in the Christian calendar speaks volumes. It suggests a level of captivity and complicity in Trump’s degradation of both Christian faith and American values. The failure to condemn these actions risks normalizing the conflation of political allegiance with religious devotion and undermines the integrity of Christian witness in the public square. It is imperative for Christians to critically examine the implications of Trump’s rhetoric and actions, and to speak out against any form of blasphemy, especially when it is intertwined with political ambition.
