Day: March 28, 2024

When Fascism Comes to America It Will Be Wrapped in the Flag and Carrying a Trump Bible

Pensito Editors


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.

Republicans (and Bernie Sanders) in Congress Voted No, But Took the Dough Anyway

Pensito Editors

$71 million

Punchbowl News: “Congress approved more than $71 million in earmarks for lawmakers who voted against the most recent minibus spending bill, according to a Punchbowl News analysis. This is a prime example of what former Speaker Nancy Pelosi says: They voted no but took the dough. We have a simple spreadsheet of the lawmakers who landed projects and then voted against the $1.2 trillion spending package.”

Biden Holds Small Lead Over Trump Nationally

Buck Banks

48% to 45%

In a head-to-head presidential election match up, a new Quinnipiac poll finds President Biden leading Donald Trump nationally, 48% to 45%. When the match up is expanded to include independent candidates, Trump edges Biden, 39% to 38%, with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at 13%, Jill Stein at 4% and Cornel West at 3%. Pollster Tim Malloy: “Way too close to call on the head-to-head and even closer when third party candidates are counted. The backstretch is months away and this is about as close as it can get.”