‘Political stunt’: Critics slam Trump’s studying of a Bible passage one week after posting AI picture of himself as Jesus | EUROtoday

Donald Trump has participated in a Bible-reading marathon per week after posting an AI picture of himself as Jesus, reciting a passage from the Old Testament in a pre-recorded video filmed within the Oval Office.

Critics slammed the scripture studying as a blatant “political stunt,” whereas supporters praised the Republican president for reminding Americans “who we are as a nation.”

It comes because the Trump administration is fueling a spiritual resurgence within the federal forms. Since the president returned to workplace, federal employees have been inundated with proselytizing emails and invites to worship companies. And senior officers have repeatedly invoked their Christian religion in coverage discussions.

The president has additionally sparred with Pope Leo over the Catholic pontiff’s staunch opposition to the Iran struggle.

Here’s what the president learn

On Tuesday night, the 79-year-old president learn from 2 Chronicles 7:11–22 — a piece of scripture that has lengthy been quoted by those that consider the U.S. was based as a Christian nation.

“And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice,” Trump mentioned throughout his roughly three-minute deal with.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land,” the president, seated behind the Resolute Desk, continued.

The recitation is a part of “America Reads the Bible,” a weeklong scripture-reading occasion that includes greater than 500 individuals, together with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Joni Ernst.

Organizers billed it as a “spiritual celebration of our nation’s founding ideals and a call to rediscover the truth that still anchors us today,” in keeping with the America Reads the Bible web site.

“I applaud every citizen participating in the America Reads the Bible initiative,” the president mentioned final week. “Together, we will honor Holy Scripture, renew our faith, usher in a historic resurgence of religion on American shores and rededicate the United States as one Nation under God.”

Mixed reactions

Social media shortly erupted with a variety of reactions, with various customers expressing heartfelt appreciation.

“This is what leadership looks like,” one X consumer wrote. “A president who isn’t ashamed to read the Bible in public and remind us who we are as a nation.”

“May God Bless what Trump is doing,” one other chimed in. “In contrast…Biden honored gays.”

Bunni Pounds, the founding father of Christians Engaged, the group that organized the mission, additionally provided up reward. “It’s a powerful statement that he decided to read that passage,” she instructed The Associated Press.

Many of the feedback, although, had been way more skeptical of the president’s beliefs and motives.

“Anyone actually believe Trump has read the Bible? Even just one book? Of course not,” one X consumer wrote.

“Ha ha, first time for everything,” one added, whereas one other decried the studying as a “political stunt.”

Brian Kaylor, creator of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power,” rejected the favored interpretation that Trump’s passage is related to the U.S. political mission.

“This verse is not about the United States,” Kaylor instructed The Associated Press. It is “a promise made to one particular person in one particular moment. It doesn’t really work to pull it out of context and apply it to whatever you want to.”

Broader emphasis on Christianity

The billionaire president has lengthy solid himself as Christianity’s unmatched defender. In 2021, he instructed a radio host that “nobody has done more for Christianity or for evangelicals or for religion itself than I have.” In 2024, he began selling Trump-branded Bibles.

Since returning to office, Trump has enacted a series of changes that have fueled a resurgence of religion within the federal government.

In February 2025, he established several faith-based offices across the government, including the White House Faith Office, headed by televangelist Paula White-Cain — who has compared the president to Jesus. And, in July 2025, the Office of Personnel Management released a memo permitting federal workers to “encourage” peers to “to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer.”

Since then, employees across multiple agencies and departments have received proselytizing emails, invitations to worship services in government buildings and observed religious undertones in high-profile policy decisions.

The integration of religion — specifically Evangelical Christianity — into government operations has been most evident at the Department of Defense.

During a service in March, shortly after the outbreak of the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth implored God: “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation.”

Since the Middle East battle started, the administration has additionally discovered itself at odds with Pope Leo, the chief of the Catholic church, who has repeatedly condemned the struggle.

Last weekend, Trump fired off a placing 334‑phrase put up on Truth Social wherein he branded the pope “terrible” on international coverage and claimed that the pontiff is ok with Iran possessing a nuclear weapon.

Shortly after, Trump posted an AI-generated picture showing to painting himself as Jesus therapeutic a sick man. In response to bipartisan criticism, the president deleted the put up and mentioned he thought it depicted him as a physician, not the Christian savior.

For his half, the pope has mentioned he is not going to be silenced.

“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” Leo, the primary U.S.-born Bishop of Rome, mentioned final week.

“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he continued. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”