The Progressive American

Trump’s Bible promotion is another example of his opportunism and contempt for faith.

For years, former President Trump made money by throwing around his brand. The brand of the well-off and successful billionaire from New York. The fighter who got things done and made the difficult deals that nobody wanted to make. Of course, that is a convenient myth for Trump and his political career, but it is how he has made his bread. With a looming trial and growing legal expenses, Trump has again begun promoting a product he hopes to sell for quick cash. This time, Trump is getting into the Bible business.   

Mixing the Bible and America: Nationalism as Faith

Just before Easter, on March 26th, the former President released a video on his social media platform, Truth Social, promoting the ‘God Bless the USA Bible.”  With the American flag etched into the leather, these Bibles are bundled with a copy of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the handwritten chorus of “God bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood. The mix of religious documents and famed American political works demonstrates that Trump is attempting, in his usually blunt fashion, to fuse Christianity with nationalist ideals, even if the effort to do so disrespects Christianity and the Founders he claims to admire.

As he promotes the new line of Bibles, the former President has declared it to be his favorite book, a statement that is seemingly at odds with his uneasy relationship with Christianity. He has previously raised eyebrows regarding how much he cares for the Holy text, given his struggle to recall a single verse from the Bible. He has also created controversy with his previous statement that he didn’t need to seek forgiveness from God and his unusual remarks about Holy Communion, which he referred to as ‘… my little wine…’ and his ‘… little cracker…” All of this is to say that while Trump has cultivated a following of passionate Christian supporters, his recent moves with the Bible don’t come without controversy.

Loving Money or Loving Faith?

Senator and Reverand Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia) called Trump out directly, warning that the former President was attempting to sell the word of Christ without showing due respect for its message, saying:

“The Bible does not need Donald Trump’s endorsement, and Jesus, in the very last week of his life, chased the money changers out of the temple, those who would take sacred things and use them as cheap relics to be sold in the marketplace….The sad thing is that none of us are surprised by this — this is what we expect from the former president.”

Senator Raphael Warnock, “Sen. Raphael Warnock slams Trump for selling Bibles,” March 31, 2024,

Senator Warnock is right. While there is nothing inherently wrong with anyone selling Bibles, Trump isn’t merely selling Bibles or promoting the work of a newer adaptation. The word of God belongs to everyone, and nobody should be denied access to the Bible based on their politics. Nor should anyone be denied the ability to help others get that same access.

Still, there are clear problems. While their website states that none of the money used to purchase this Bible will go to Trump’s campaign and that “…GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump,” the website does note that they have a licensing agreement with the former President for the use of his likeness. They also never mention Trump’s legal problems or whether any funds gained from purchases will be used to assist the former President in court, suggesting that it is likely that some element of this venture will be helpful to Trump’s legal woes as he faces a looming court date.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t note that the mixing of some of America’s founding documents with said Bible reeks of a vain attempt to coopt both America’s history and Christianity. Combine that with the fact that the God Bless the USA Bible is being sold for $60, whereas other versions of the same Bible can be purchased for less than $30,  and it becomes increasingly clear that this is yet another opportunistic venture by Trump.

While it is unclear how many will purchase these Bibles or how many are willing to tolerate such blatant misuse of the scriptures, one thing remains clear: Trump is willing and able to sell anything and everything to achieve his ends, even if it means stepping on the very faith he claims to defend.

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References

Brian Krassenstein [@krassenstein]. 2024. “Imagine If Joe Biden or Barack Obama Decided to Fundraise off of Selling ‘God Bless America’ Korans. That’s How Non-Christian Americans Feel about the Trump Bible That He’s Now Selling in Order to Raise Money to Run for President. This Is so Embarrassing Not Only For… Https://T.Co/b8J73OLglJ.” Twitter. https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1772926478621003913 (April 1, 2024).

Collinson, Stephen. 2024. “Analysis: Trump Is a Ringmaster of Multiple Sideshows as Biden Cranks up Pace of Reelection Bid | CNN Politics.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/28/politics/trump-biden-campaign-contrast/index.html (April 1, 2024).

“God Bless The USA Bible.” https://godblesstheusabible.com/ (April 3, 2024).

Gold, Michael, and Maggie Haberman. 2024. “Trump’s Newest Venture? A $60 Bible.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/us/politics/trump-bible.html (April 1, 2024).

Kelly, Conor. 2024. “Trump Trial Over Stormy Daniels to Start in April.” The Progressive American. https://theprogressiveamerican.com/2024/03/25/trump-trial-over-stormy-daniels-to-start-in-april/ (April 3, 2024).

Publishers, Christian Art. 2020. KJV Holy Bible, Giant Print Full-Size Faux Leather Red Letter Edition – Thumb Index & Ribbon Marker, King James Version, Dark Brown. Large type / Large print edition. Christian Art Publishers. https://a.co/d/j8fi6oj.

Scott, Eugene. 2015. “Trump Believes in God, but Hasn’t Sought Forgiveness | CNN Politics.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/ (April 3, 2024).

Scott, Eugene. 2015b. “Trump Says Bible Is His Favorite Book, but Declines to Share Favorite Verse | CNN Politics.” CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/27/politics/donald-trump-favorite-bible-verses/index.html (April 1, 2024).

Trump, Donald. “Truth Social.” Truth Social. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112162741690113521 (April 3, 2024).

Wang, Amy B. 2024. “Trump Falsely Attacks Biden over Easter Coinciding with Transgender Day of Visibility.” Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/31/trump-biden-easter-transgender-day/ (April 1, 2024).

Willingham, AJ. 2024. “Sen. Raphael Warnock Slams Trump for Selling Bibles.” NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/sen-raphael-warnock-slams-trump-selling-bibles-rcna145767 (April 1, 2024).