Axios: Few politicians have commanded the loyalty of the religious right like former President Trump, whose decision to begin selling $60 Bibles for Holy Week has outraged his critics — but drawn little reaction from evangelical leaders.
Why it matters: Trump has developed a sense of impunity when it comes to religious messaging, forged through a grand compromise with Christian conservatives who see him as a flawed — but effective — champion of their movement.
Hawking Bibles is just the latest example.
Flashback: Trump was neither a regular churchgoer nor prone to displays of faith before running for president. His 2016 campaign produced a series of memorable gaffes as he courted the GOP’s evangelical base.
- At the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa in 2015, Trump said he had never asked God for forgiveness and called Communion his “little wine” and “little cracker.”
- In an interview with Bloomberg the following month, Trump repeatedly refused to name his favorite Bible verse — calling it “very personal.”
- In a speech at Liberty University in January 2016, Trump cited a verse from what he called “Two Corinthians” instead of “Second Corinthians,” drawing laughter from the crowd and mockery from his GOP rivals.