The 'America Reads the Bible' event was described on its website as a 'sacred opportunity to call our nation back to its spiritual foundation'. The Family Policy Alliance Foundation, a conservative lobbying group, organized the weeklong Bible-reading marathon through its ministry, Christians Engaged. This foundation has pushed to defund abortion providers and restrict transgender medical care. Other Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, are expected to participate in the event.
Trump's appearance comes after a slew of recent moves that have drawn scrutiny and sowed division among his devout supporters. In early April, the president caught enormous flak for threatening to wipe out Iranian civilization as he pressured the country to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil tankers. According to reports, Pope Leo XIV admonished Trump's remarks as 'truly unacceptable'. Trump responded by lashing out on social media, calling the first American-born pontiff 'weak on crime' and 'terrible for foreign policy' in a 12 April Truth Social post. Trump also said the pope was only elected so the conclave could curry favor with him.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The exchange brought into renewed focus Trump's childhood, during which time he attended a Manhattan church led by a pastor who opposed John F. Kennedy's presidential candidacy because of the politician's Catholic beliefs. This background has been cited by observers as context for Trump's complex relationship with religious institutions.
The fallout from the broadside has placed the Republican party in a thorny position, as lawmakers attempt to shore up support before the 2026 midterms. A recent Pew poll found that more than eight in 10 American Catholics regard Leo favorably, highlighting potential challenges for Trump's outreach to religious voters. The Bible reading event represents an effort to reinforce his connections with conservative Christian supporters amid these tensions.
truly unacceptable
weak on crime
terrible for foreign policy