Remember when Trump tried to sell a Bible to the American people?

In March 2024, Donald Trump took his exploits to a whole different level when he tried to sell a version of the Bible to the American people during one of the holiest periods of the year...

On March 26th, Trump announced that he was selling a version of the Bible just in time for Good Friday and Easter, and the whole spectacle captured the attention of the nation at the time! 

"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," Trump wrote in a social media post alongside a video and link to the Bible. 

Photo Credit: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

The God Bless the USA Bible wasn't anything special. Once the project of famed country singer Lee Greenwood, it appeared as if the Bible became a collaboration between Trump and Greenwood, according to the former president’s video promoting the Bible, which he pushed pretty hard in the video. 

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"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," Trump said in the video according to USA Today before he went on to tie religion to the political climate in the country. 

Photo Credit: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

"We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and into what will again be a great nation," Trump said. "Our Founding Fathers did a tremendous thing when they built America on Judeo-Christian values. Now that foundation is under attack, perhaps as never before."

Wikipedia notes in its article about the 'God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, the Bible is sometimes referred to as the 'Trump Bible'. It was first published in 2021, but in 2024, it was marketed under the Trump brand name and promoted as part of the former president's 2024 presidential. campaign

However, the optics of Trump’s message just before one of the holiest times of the year for Christians seemed to have irked many and caused a bit of a meltdown in the media as news outlets raced to cover the story from every angle. 

"Seeing the indicted, would-be dictator, sell so-called 'patriotic' Bibles does provide a parallel to Holy Week, but it's not with Jesus," Nathan Empsall, Executive Director of Faithful America, explained to Newsweek about Trump’s actions. 

“Trump is doing his best impression of the corrupt money changers who profited by ripping off worshippers,” Empsall said, adding that Christians were sick of seeing the MAGA crowd's false prophet twist their loving faith for his agenda. 

Empsall’s comparison of Trump to the money changers in the temple, a popular story in the Bible that saw Jesus expelling merchants and money changers from the temple to cleanse the holy space of greed and profit, was an appropriate one. 

The God Bless the USA Bible uses patriotism to sell scripture for the 'low' price of just $59.99, excluding shipping and handling of course. But prospective buyers won’t only get themselves a branded Bible with a catchy endorsement from Trump.

Photo Credit: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

The Greenwood, Trump-endorsed, Bible—the only version of the Holy Bible that has ever been endorsed by the former president—also came with a copy of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. But wasn't not all. 

Buyers would also get a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s famous song: ‘God Bless the USA.’ Plus, every copy of the 'God Bless the USA Bible' had an emblazoned American flag on the front of its cover instead of a cross. 

Photo Credit: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

While all of the add-ons were a nice touch that truly turned Trump and Greenwood’s Bible into a patriotic spectacle, the one key feature of the book that might have interested readers the most was the red text that it used to display Jesus’ words according to the website selling the book. 

“While part of me wants to laugh at the absurdity of it — and marvel at the sheer audacity — I find the messaging unsettling and deeply wrong,” wrote Esau McCaulley, a professor of the New Testament at Wheaton College, in an opinion essay for the New York Times 

“This God Bless the USA Bible, as it’s officially named, focuses on God’s blessing of one particular people. That is both its danger and, no doubt for some, its appeal,” McCaulley continued, adding that the story of Jesus didn’t belong to one culture.

The other big problem with Trump’s push to sell a version of the Bible before Good Friday and Easter was that it was clearly intended to help him raise money just as his push to sell Trump-branded sneakers in February 2024 according to some reports.

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Trump’s actions showed he was willing to do whatever he could to make a quick buck, even if it was at the expense of his political supporters. Why some Christians still support Trump is still a mystery, but incidents like Trump’s Bible don’t seem to be changing their minds. 

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