President Donald Trump was reportedly trying to win back voters he offended in recent weeks with a new stunt, according to reports on Wednesday.
The Guardian's Adam Gabbatt described how Trump's attempt Tuesday night to read from the Bible — the Old Testament's Book of Chronicles — was a move that left religious scholars unimpressed.
"Trump didn’t actually read it to the whole of the US, of course," Gabbatt wrote. "Instead he read it, in a taped message that was broadcast via a slightly janky livestream, to anyone enthusiastic enough to tune into a weeklong, rightwing, 'America Reads the Bible' event where 500 people – a collection of true believers, Republican politicians, grifters, weirdos, and homophobes – are taking it in turns to read the Bible cover to cover."
Trump has come under fire for attacks on Pope Leo, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and following a bizarre move where he featured an AI image of himself portrayed as Jesus Christ on his Truth Social platform. He later removed it and told the press that he thought the image was depicting him as a doctor.
It's unclear if religious voters were swayed by the president's efforts to regain their support, Gabbatt argued.
"To some, Trump reading scripture may have seemed a little cynical," Gabbatt wrote. "Trump is desperate to win back angry Christians after he alienated many with that Son of God AI photo, and with the attacks on Pope Leo (among other things, Trump accused God’s representative on Earth of being 'soft on crime')."
"People might also fairly question the sincerity of Trump’s effort, given the president’s historically tenuous relationship with the Christian faith," Gabbatt added.