The passionate embrace of Donald Trump by evangelical voters is both incontrovertible and mysterious, at least to those eternally perplexed by the former president’s appeals.
now, new york times He said he was mixing religion and politics to lure believers into the “Trump church.”
Perhaps that’s why he reposted Washington Times This weekend’s Easter opinion column is headlined “The Crucifixion of Donald Trump.”
There are some caveats here. Candidates have long mixed religious and political motives. Jimmy Carter, who taught in his Sunday school, openly promoted his faith when he was elected president in 1976.
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Over the weekend, President Biden sent warm wishes to Christians around the world who celebrate Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s resurrection. As we gather with our loved ones, , we remember the sacrifice of Jesus. We pray for one’ cherish the blessings of the dawn of new possibilities. ”
Of course, a church-going Catholic president has the right to talk about the holiest day of the year. The Trump campaign accused Biden of desecrating Easter by declaring it National Transgender Visibility Day, but it is simply a coincidence that March 31st, which has been celebrated for 15 years, falls on the same day as this year’s Easter. Ta.
President Trump, who is selling a $59.99 Bible as his favorite book and collecting royalties on it, has sent a more complicated Christmas message.
“Everyone, including the evil and corrupt prosecutors and judges, who are doing everything in their power to interfere with the 2024 presidential election and trying to put me in jail, and whom I completely and completely despise, Happy Easter to everyone, including the many people in “Do You Want to Destroy America,” who attacked Jack Smith of “Crazy” and “Sick,” and also Fanny Willis and Alvin Bragg. Ripped.
Former President Donald Trump waves as he departs the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, New York, Monday, March 25, 2024. Trump spoke to the media about the New York Court of Appeals’ decision to reduce his bail. He won more than half of his lawsuits over allegations of falsifying business records, giving him 10 days to pay $175 million. (Adam Gray, Fox News Digital)
The Times article said President Trump tends to end his rallies like “an evangelical altar call,” adding, “We pray to God for our strength and freedom. For God’s sake. We pray, we pray with God. We are one movement, one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God. ”
The newspaper said this reflected his attempt to “turn the Republican Party into a kind of Trump church.”
The story only later acknowledges that President Trump has been “mostly careful not to speak directly in messianic terms,” but this is something of an important detail.
Now obviously Trump can’t control what others say about him, but I’m sure he welcomes some of these comparisons.
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A real estate broker who attended the CPAC conference said Trump was “definitely God’s chosen man.” “They crucified him worse than Jesus,” said a South Carolina restaurant worker.
Now comes the part where Trump doesn’t seem like an evangelical hero.
“He has been married three times, repeatedly accused of sexual assault and convicted of corporate fraud, yet has shown no interest in church services.”
A column in the Washington Times made overt reference to Easter, saying that just as Pontius Pilate tried to appease the mob by simply beating Jesus to death, the judge set the required bail at just 175,000. They reduced the amount to $10,000, “relented,” and gave Trump an additional $10 bail.” It will take several days to secure it. ” (This is factually inaccurate; it was the Court of Appeals that reduced Judge Arthur Engoron’s harsh bond requirements by 60 percent.)
“Donald Trump is not Jesus. He has committed a sin or two along the way. He can be cocky and rude. “It is living proof that the elements are moving forward,” he added. If we are willing to sacrifice, we are willing to crucify another human being. ”
Former President Trump on Tuesday promoted the “God Bless USA” Bible, which he is selling in partnership with country musician Lee Greenwood, ahead of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. (True Social/ @realDonaldTrump)
Andrew Sullivanis not a fan of Trump, but is trying to find a compromise. He wrote in his own Substack that today’s new, more fortified version is “a clear fusion of specific elements of Christianity with the national identity as a whole, making secular politicians the anointed will of God.” It is something that can be transformed into a useful tool.” It is an act of religious faithfulness, not democratic deliberation. ”
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But he is also dissatisfied with liberal Christianity, saying, “The continued refusal of mainstream and online conservatives to break out of the fringes of the increasingly insane right-wing The Left is now harnessing the energy of the new religion of New Racism, while the Right is plundering, exploiting, and abusing its opponents. It still has the depth and scope of the teaching…
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the Buckeye Values PAC rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. (Kamil Krzazinski/AFP via Getty Images)
“But once the demons of populism are unleashed and there is no price to pay for a shift to the right or left, especially among those who feel alienated and believe their country is under the control of “evil forces,” And then the old hatred shows up.
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The spirit of Christianity is that we are all sinners. So if evangelical Trump supporters want to see Trump as a flawed vessel despite being better than Biden on the abortion issue, that’s their right.
And if the media chooses to paint Trump as persecuted, grasping his unwavering appeal among those who might abandon a candidate repeatedly indicted under a different name, the media This poses another challenge.
