Erosion of Church-State Separation: Bible Photo Op, 'Chosen One' Declaration, and Transactional Alliance with Christian Nationalism
Tier 5Ongoing2016-01-18 to 2024-11-05
Factual Summary
Throughout his political career, Donald Trump cultivated a relationship with evangelical Christian leaders and the Christian nationalist movement that blurred the constitutional boundary between church and state. This relationship was characterized by an explicit exchange: Trump promised policy outcomes favorable to the religious right in return for their political support, while adopting religious language and imagery in ways that intertwined his political identity with divine authority.
On January 18, 2016, at Liberty University, Trump attempted to quote a biblical verse, referring to "Two Corinthians" instead of "Second Corinthians," a gaffe that highlighted his unfamiliarity with Scripture. Despite this, Trump secured the endorsement of many prominent evangelical leaders, to whom he made direct promises. At a 2016 meeting with evangelical leaders, Trump said: "You're going to have plenty of power. You don't need anybody else. You're going to have somebody representing you very, very well." At a 2019 rally, he told supporters: "I'm going to be your warrior."
On June 1, 2020, law enforcement used tear gas and rubber bullets to forcibly clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square near the White House so that Trump could walk to St. John's Episcopal Church and hold up a Bible for a photo opportunity. Trump did not pray, did not enter the church, and did not open the Bible. The church's own bishop, Mariann Budde, condemned the act, stating she was "outraged" and that the president had used "one of our churches as a prop." Nine Episcopal bishops from New England issued a joint statement calling Trump's actions "disgraceful and morally repugnant." The church had not been consulted or given advance notice.
On August 21, 2019, while defending his trade war with China, Trump looked up at the sky and declared: "I am the chosen one." While Trump later said the comment was sarcastic, it followed a pattern of messianic self-references. Earlier that day, he had approvingly quoted a conservative commentator who said that Israeli Jews "love him like he is the second coming of God."
Trump embraced the support of Christian nationalist figures who advocate for a fusion of Christian identity and American government. He appeared at events organized by figures associated with the New Apostolic Reformation, a movement whose leaders have described Trump as anointed by God. He sold branded Bibles for $59.99 during the 2024 campaign. He promised to use government power to advance a religious agenda, pledging to establish a task force on "anti-Christian bias" and to restore prayer in public schools.
Throughout his presidency and campaigns, Trump consistently framed political opponents as enemies of Christianity and positioned himself as the protector of the faith. This framing converted religious identity into a political weapon and political loyalty into a religious obligation.
Primary Sources
1. White House video and press pool footage of Lafayette Square clearing and St. John's Church photo op, June 1, 2020
2. C-SPAN video of Trump's "I am the chosen one" statement, August 21, 2019
3. Department of the Interior Inspector General report on the clearing of Lafayette Square, June 2021
4. Trump campaign event footage and rally transcripts, 2016 through 2024
5. "God Bless the USA Bible" product listing and campaign marketing materials, 2024
Corroborating Sources
1. Wikipedia: "Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church," with extensive sourcing
2. CNBC: "'I am the Chosen One,' Trump proclaims as he defends trade war with China," August 21, 2019
3. Religion News Service: "With Bibles and flash grenades, Trump walks the Christian nationalist walk," June 2, 2020
4. The Conversation: "After Trump, Christian nationalist ideas are going mainstream," 2022
5. Slate: "The Inconceivable Strangeness of Trump's Bible Photo-Op," June 2020
Counterarguments and Context
Trump's evangelical supporters argued that his relationship with the religious community was no different from any political coalition, and that presidents have long invoked God and attended religious services without violating the separation of church and state. The First Amendment protects the right of individuals, including presidents, to express religious views and to seek the support of religious communities. Trump's defenders noted that the Lafayette Square clearing may have been related to the installation of security fencing (as the DOI Inspector General report suggested), though this finding was contested by other investigations. The "chosen one" remark was characterized as joking, and selling Bibles is a lawful commercial activity. Many evangelical leaders who supported Trump did so based on his policy positions on abortion, judicial appointments, and religious liberty rather than because they believed he was a religious figure. However, the distinction between seeking religious support and instrumentalizing religion for political power lies in the pattern of behavior: using force to stage a Bible photo op at a church whose leaders condemned it, adopting messianic language, selling branded Bibles for personal profit, and promising to use government power to advance a particular religious agenda collectively represent a blurring of the boundary between religious expression and state-sponsored religious identity.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 5 because the assessment that these actions constitute erosion of church-state separation involves interpretive judgment about constitutional norms. Individual actions, such as holding a Bible, speaking at religious events, or making religious statements, are protected speech. The normative assessment arises from the aggregate pattern and from the use of official presidential power (including the clearing of protesters) to stage religious imagery and the explicit exchange of government policy for political support from religious leaders.