It turns out Donald Trump’s Monday morning Truth Social post comparing himself to Jesus Christ (once again) wasn’t just inherently sacrilegious; in a way, it was also promotional content.
Trump launched a new career as a Bible salesman on Tuesday afternoon, posting a video to Truth Social in which he urged supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible.”
“I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible,” Trump says in the three-minute ad. “We must Make America Pray Again.”
Trump added: “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.”
Many people find the idea of any presidential candidate selling religious texts to their supporters totally appalling. And the Donald Trump of it all makes matters even worse. The former president famously named the Bible as his favorite book on the 2016 campaign trail, but was unable to name his favorite verse. During his administration he cited “Two Corinthians” (not Second Corinthians) and had peaceful protesters forcibly removed from a park near the White House so he could stand in front of a church and brandish a Bible. Plus, Trump is hawking the Good Book as he finds himself in huge financial trouble due to his multiple criminal trials, one of which involves hush-money payments to a porn star.
These are all valid concerns. But as a connoisseur of ridiculous Trump money-making schemes, my main issue is that this isn’t a clever scam or an original product: He’s just endorsing a Bible the singer Lee Greenwood released about three years ago.
The Lee Greenwood Bible was controversial even before it came out, as Slate explained back in 2021:
The $60 Bible, which was originally set to ship early this month to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, was “inspired by” the country musician Lee Greenwood’s 1980s patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA” and packages Scripture with the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the handwritten chorus to Greenwood’s song. The ensuing uproar shows the challenges facing publishers in the lucrative Bible-printing business and the growing discomfort with Christian nationalism, the ideology that asserts the United States should be an explicitly Christian country.
Greenwood, whose song has become a fixture at MAGA rallies, often enlists right-wing celebrities like Sean Hannity and Mike Flynn to help him promote his Bible. It’s still listed on the singer’s website for $59.99. Clicking “order now” directs you to godblesstheusabible.com. As the Internet Archive shows, this was the banner at the top of that page a month ago:
But now you’re greeted by this image:
It does not appear that there’s anything specifically Trumpy about the current version. The exterior looks the same as the old Lee Greenwood Bible and the website says it includes the text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the chorus of “God Bless the USA,” just as before. The FAQ lists just one crucial difference:
The FAQ claims that the Bible is “not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign,” though it is endorsed by a current presidential candidate:
IS ANY OF THE MONEY FROM THIS BIBLE GOING TO THE DONALD J. TRUMP CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?
No, GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign. GodBlessTheUSABible.com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates.
GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.
So it appears the Trump-owned CIC Ventures LLC has just licensed his name and likeness to Greenwood’s existing Bible venture; this mirrors the former president’s involvement with Trump sneakers, Trump NFT trading cards, and various real-estate ventures/deals. It’s unclear how much Trump is making from his new licensing deal, per the AP:
A Trump spokesperson and God Bless the USA Bible did not immediately respond to questions about how much Trump was paid for the licensing deal or stands to make from each book sale.
Trump isn’t really hiding the fact that he’s just endorsing the Lee Greenwood Bible; he mentions the singer in the very first line of the video and again toward the end, saying he’s “proud to partner” with him. But the arrangement is still a letdown for people who appreciate Trump’s grotesque branding creativity. This is a man who took the suit he wore in his mug shot, cut it into tiny pieces, and sold those scraps glued to trading cards — or at least licensed his name to a company that did all that. Now he wants us to drop $60 on a Bible that doesn’t feature Trump’s signature, a golden cover, or the phrase “NEVER SURRENDER” somewhere in the text?
I know Trump supporters probably won’t take my advice; he actually warns them about me in the video, saying, “We must defend God in the public square and not allow the media or the left-wing groups to silence sensor or discriminate against us.” But my recommendation to MAGA-loving Americans is to stick with your old Bible and pocket-size Constitution; you’ll get way more Trump and way more fun if you spring for one of his coffee- table burn books.
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Trump Sells $59.99 Bible That Isn’t Even Gold
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27.03.2024
It turns out Donald Trump’s Monday morning Truth Social post comparing himself to Jesus Christ (once again) wasn’t just inherently sacrilegious; in a way, it was also promotional content.
Trump launched a new career as a Bible salesman on Tuesday afternoon, posting a video to Truth Social in which he urged supporters to buy the “God Bless the USA Bible.”
“I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible,” Trump says in the three-minute ad. “We must Make America Pray Again.”
Trump added: “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.”
Many people find the idea of any presidential candidate selling religious texts to their supporters totally appalling. And the Donald Trump of it all makes matters even worse. The former president famously named the Bible as his favorite book on the 2016 campaign trail, but was unable to name his favorite verse. During his administration he cited “Two Corinthians” (not Second Corinthians) and had peaceful protesters forcibly removed from a park near the White House so he could stand in front of a church and brandish a Bible. Plus, Trump is hawking the Good Book as he finds himself in huge financial trouble due to his multiple criminal trials, one of which involves hush-money payments to a porn star.
These are all valid........
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