Trump Read From the Bible on Camera but Viewers Who Zoomed In Noticed Something He May Not Have Expected
In the span of one week, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in a white robe that drew accusations of blasphemy from his own evangelical supporters, publicly clashed with Pope Leo XIV, and then appeared in a pre-recorded Bible reading from the Oval Office for a national event. Each moment generated its own wave of reaction. Taken together, they put the role of religion in this administration squarely back in the public conversation.
The AI Jesus Image That Even His Supporters Called Blasphemy
On Easter Sunday, Trump posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social showing him in a white robe placing a hand on a man’s head in a scene resembling a healing, surrounded by a U.S. flag, bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and fighter jets. The image was deleted the following day after evangelical and Catholic allies publicly called it blasphemous, which the Washington Post described as a rare public break from a base that has largely stood by Trump.
The Feud With Pope Leo That Preceded It All
Before posting the image, Trump had already attacked Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the pope spoke out against the war in Iran. Trump told reporters he does not want a pope who criticizes the president of the United States. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a conservative ally of Trump, said his remarks toward the pope were “unacceptable.” Pope Leo declined to escalate, saying he did not want to get into a debate with Trump.
Then Came the Bible Reading From the Oval Office
On April 21, Trump participated in a pre-recorded Bible reading for America Reads the Bible, a week-long event tied to the country’s 250th anniversary and livestreamed from the Museum of the Bible in Washington. Organizers announced that Trump would read from 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, a passage from the Old Testament set during King Solomon’s dedication of the temple. In a statement, Trump said the Bible is “indelibly woven into our national identity and way of life.”
He Had an Open Bible in Front of Him. He Did Not Look at It Once.
In the video, Trump recited the passage from his desk with his hands folded on an open Bible in front of him, but he looked straight into the camera throughout, according to PBS NewsHour. The video cut back and forth between two camera angles. CNN reported that organizers promoted his participation in the reading, though viewers noted he relied on a teleprompter rather than the text in front of him. The passage includes the frequently quoted verse 14, calling for a nation to humble itself and turn from its wicked ways.
Critics Called the Participant List Anything But Nonpartisan
The America Reads the Bible event was organized by Christians Engaged, a nonprofit whose stated mission includes discipling Americans on biblical worldview and their responsibilities to pray, vote, and engage. Other participants included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and chief of staff Susie Wiles. Brian Kaylor, author of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists,” told PBS NewsHour that the overwhelmingly Republican participant list makes it “very much a right-wing MAGA, Christian nationalist effort.”
Meanwhile, Hegseth Quoted Pulp Fiction at a Pentagon Prayer Service
On April 15, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a prayer at a Pentagon worship service that closely echoed a monologue from Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” specifically the speech delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman character just before he shoots someone. Hegseth said the prayer, called CSAR 25:17, had been recited by combat search and rescue teams before a mission to recover a downed U.S. airman in Iran. He noted it was “meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17.”
The Pentagon Defended It. Experts Said the Words Are Not in the Bible.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to criticism by saying the prayer was “obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction” and that it reflected Ezekiel 25:17, as Hegseth had stated. The actual Ezekiel 25:17 reads: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” Religion and politics outlet A Public Witness, which first reported the connection to the film, noted that nearly everything else Hegseth read was invented for the movie, not found in scripture.
Church-State Separation Groups Have Already Filed Lawsuits
Hegseth has held monthly Christian worship services at the Pentagon, a practice that drew lawsuits from Americans United for Separation of Church and State against both the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor. The organization’s president Rachel Laser stated that the federal government’s role is to serve the public, not to proselytize. Former federal judge John E. Jones III, appointed by George W. Bush, told The Conversation that Hegseth’s services appear to violate the First Amendment’s establishment clause.
A Week That Raised Questions About Faith, Power, and Performance
Within one week, the Trump administration posted and deleted an AI image depicting the president in a Christ-like scene, clashed publicly with the leader of the Catholic Church, staged a Bible reading from the Oval Office, and delivered a Pulp Fiction monologue at a Pentagon worship service. Each event was separately documented by credible news outlets. Taken together, they reflect an ongoing and contested debate about where the line sits between personal faith, political identity, and the use of religious imagery in public office.