The Trumpwood Bible, aka The God Bless The USA Bible, is not new; it has actually been around for a few years. But it has found a new and happy home in the Donald Trump grift machine, much to the delight of the Christofascists who are propping up Trump for their own benefit, and the outrage of pretty much everyone who is actually trying to follow the teachings of Christ.
By now you have surely heard of the so-called Trump Bible: a $60.00 tome
endorsed and promoted by Cheeto Jeezus himself in conjunction
with his close buddy and ally Lee Greenwood. Greenwood, of
course, is best known for what to many folks is one of the
world's worst songs, the performative-patriot anthem, "God
Bless The USA." This Bible is not actually new -- see below,
under, "A bad book finally finds a home" -- but the
Trumpy promo campaign is new, and was strategically
timed to coincide with Holy Week. (Well, technically, it's only
Holy Week for non-Orthodox Christians; Orthodox Christians are going to be celebrating Easter
on Cinco de Mayo this year.)
As ludicrous as the Trumpwood Bible itself is, even more ludicrous is the
robotic promo vid by Mango Mussolini, who hilariously claims to
be fighting hard for the Constitution every day. (Maybe he's
fighting for the Constitution of Trumpistan, but not of the
United States of America.) Here's a link where you can watch the Trump Bible video if you haven't already; I did have a YouTube link but
it seems to be no longer valid.
I had a few thoughts when I first saw the social media posts and
the promo vid about this grift Bible.
- Compulsory prayer? Orange
Overlord's Truth Social post said, "Let's Make
America Pray Again." Does that mean that he thinks
that prayer should be compulsory?
Believe me, nobody needs to make Americans pray. Millions of Americans who do pray, and even many who don't normally do so, are sending heartfelt pleas to the Almighty that Trump is never anywhere near the Oval Office again.
- Christofascist dog whistle, anyone? In
the video Cheeto Jeezus repeatedly says that the country
needs to bring back religion, but in the same breath he
says that we need to bring back CHRISTIANITY. He does
mention "Judaeo-Christian values" one time in
passing, but then again, this is the same guy who
declared that the 2017 tiki-torch loons, who were
marching in Charlottesville and shouting "Jews will
not replace us!", were "very fine people."
- Book design and readability questions. Even
though I am an agnostic, I love books, and I actually do have
"many Bibles" in my home, as Trump claims that
he does. But I wonder about the "slim design" product
that Cheeto Jeezus is holding in his little paws in the promo
pics and video. I have Bibles of all sizes and formats, including
ones that are even smaller than the book Trump is promoting, and
that contain the entire text of the Old and New Testaments.
They're printed on onionskin paper, as are many Bibles, and the
font is teeny-tiny. So the fact that the Trumpwood Bible is
advertised as being "large print" for easy reading
seems a little odd, even if it is formatted in two columns as
advertised.
It's especially puzzling when you consider that the Trump/Greenwood tome also contains extras: the text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights (which actually is a part of the Constitution, being the first 10 amendments), the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a "handwritten" version of the chorus to "God Bless The USA."
How can it be so comprehensive in such a slender package, even with onionskin paper -- and yet still be "large print" and "easy to read?" I think they should show previews of some of the interior pages, a "search inside this book" feature like Amazon has, but that seems to be missing from the web site. (See below under "Dueling editions...") - The "Trusted King James Version
edition." Given the profound dumbing-down and marginal
literacy of so much of the American public, particularly the
Trump base, I'm thinking that the KJV, "trusted" though
it may be, is a poor choice if you're actually trying to reach
people who may not be familiar with the Bible. Even much more
literate folks have challenges with the archaic English in KJV.
Do the sellers really hope to introduce new generations to the
word-o-God with this version? Granted, the KJV is in the public
domain, whereas many later translations are not. But there are
more modern translations that are in the public domain, so more
than likely the book's creators and promoters are banking on the probability that the ignoranti will embrace the outmoded language as
being sacred and holy, even if they don't understand a word of
it.
- Yet another bald-faced lie about
affiliations. No big shocker here. This is from the
Q & A page on the GodBlessTheUSABible dot com web
site.
Q. Is any of the money from this Bible going to the Donald J. Trump campaign for President?
A. No, GodBlessTheUSABible dot com is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign. GodBlessTheUSABible dot com is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates.GodBlessTheUSABible dot com uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be terminated or revoked according to its terms.
But CIC Ventures is clearly a Trump company (Trumpany?). It's one of the players behind the gaudy gold sneakers, the low-tops, and the Trump golden toilet water. And it's also pretty clear that all proceeds will go, if not to Trump's political campaign, then to his legal fund. Anyone who genuinely believes this grift is totally apolitical is willfully blind or just not very bright, or both -- in other words, if I may state the painfully obvious, a member of Trump's base.
Many Christians are offended
There is, I must add,
slightly reassuring evidence that the world hasn't turned totally
upside down. Many Christians actually are offended by Trump's "blasphemous grift," as religious scholar and self-described "sane
conservative" Tara Setmayer put it in a Xitter post.
Tara Setmayer @TaraSetmayer There’s NOTHING “holy” about selling Bibles “endorsed by Trump.” More blasphemous grift. Beware: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24
Hmm. Matthew 24, verse 24. And this is 2024.
Maybe that's a sign.
A March 29, 2924 piece in the
Daily Kos has more about the blowback from the saner Christian
world. And while there are legitimate reasons to criticize the
Reverend Al Sharpton for some of his rhetoric and his personality, he does seem to
speak for many mainstream Christians regarding the Trumpwood
Bible.
Speaking to MSNBC, the Rev. Al Sharpton said that Trump’s scheme brought to mind the word “blasphemy.”
“I think that people ought to realize how offensive this is to those of us that really believe in the Bible,” said Sharpton. “He’s doing this during Holy Week. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Sunday is Easter. Of all of the times you want to hustle using the Bible, why would you do it during Holy Week, which is really a spit in the face of people that really believe in the Bible from a Christian point of view?”
Nevertheless, Lee Greenwood is all over the reich-wing media, staunchly defending his crass decision to partner with Trump. For instance, check out the Newsmax video embedded in a post by journalist Aaron Rupar.
A bad book finally finds a home
As you may also know by now,
this Bible, though new to the Trumpian grift mill, is not
actually new. Lee Greenwood had been struggling for years to
launch his project, which was rejected by major Bible publishers.
From USA Today, March 27, 2024:
A petition emerged in 2021 calling Greenwood’s Bible “a toxic mix that will exacerbate the challenges to American evangelicalism.” From there, a broader conversation ensued about the standards by which publishers print Bibles.
Gatekeeping in Bible publishing
Greenwood’s early business partner on the project, a Hermitage-based marketing firm called Elite Source Pro, initially reached a manufacturing agreement with the Nashville-based HarperCollins Christian Publishing to print the “God Bless The USA Bible.”
As part of that agreement, HarperCollins would publish the book but not sell or endorse it. But then HarperCollins reversed course, a major setback for Greenwood’s Bible.
The reversal by HarperCollins followed a decision by Zondervan — a publishing group under HarperCollins Christian Publishing and an official North American licensor for Bibles printed in the New International Version translation — to pass on the project. HarperCollins said the decision was unrelated to the petition or other public denunciations against Greenwood’s Bible...
A September 2021 piece in Slate has much more about the Greenwood Bible's struggles to
get published, and the article also
contains insightful info about some even more radical
"patriotic" Bibles and their place in American politics
and culture wars. Some of those Bibles, such as The American
Patriot's Bible, published by Southern Baptist pastor
Richard G. Lee in 2009, make Greenwood's project look remarkably
subtle by comparison.
In any case, for decades evangelicals in general have been quite
comfortable with the idea of marrying the Bible to American
patriotism and the country's founding values -- but Trump caused
some of them to rethink that notion, particularly after the
deadly January 6, 2021 Trump-fueled insurrection.
Trump’s election changed how many more progressive evangelicals saw the idea, particularly after the researchers Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead published research highlighting the influence of Christian nationalism and connecting it to support for Trump. According to Whitehead, around half of all American adults are broadly in favor of thinking of America as a Christian nation, and a smaller segment of those Christians—about 20 percent of Americans overall—strongly advocate for the idea. Many faith leaders who noticed the ideology in their churches really began to worry after the Jan. 6 insurrection, when the rioters waved crosses and Christian protest signs. “We can’t unsee the Jesus signs next to Trump signs, the Confederate flag paraded, the broken windows, injured bodies and officers assaulted,” the Zondervan authors wrote in their public letter protesting the God Bless the USA Bible.
Publishing struggles and controversies aside, though, it looks like a happy ending now for Greenwood and Trump as they stroke each other off in public and proudly promote their Very Special Bible. Praise the Lard.
Dueling editions (spoiler: there
WAS a cheaper version available, for a while)
NOTE: This section was
updated on April 2, 2024 to reflect the fact that the cheaper
edition of this Bible no longer seems to be available. ~ CC]
On a whim I decided to pay a visit to Amazon a few days ago to
see if the Trumpwood Bible was listed there, and if so, if it
might have a "search inside this book" option. What I
found was what seemed to be a
print-on-demand "paperback" version for a mere $24.95, with a pub date of March 29, 2024, "available to
ship within 1-2 days."
Notably, this edition was listed as being in the
"patriotic" American Standard Version translation
(which is also in the public domain), as opposed to the
"trusted King James Version." On the Trumpwood $60.00
Bible sale site, however, there's this little bit in the FAQ
What translations are available?
The God Bless The USA Bible is produced in the trusted King James (KJV) translation.Please Note:
We do not offer additional translations at this time.
At the time I saw this listing, there had been
no customer reviews yet for the $24.95 "paperback," but
I promised to update this when I began seeing reviews. The point
seems moot now, however, because this particular edition no
longer seems to be listed on Amazon.
The author of this version of the Greenwood Bible was listed as American Bible Ministries
(you'll just have to take my word on it, since the listing is no
longer on Amazon). The link still works, but clicking it can be
confusing because there are several other editions of Bible
listed, none of which seem to indicate American Bible Ministries
either as an author or a publisher.
This was the product description on Amazon:
The God Bless The USA Bible is the ONLY Bible inspired by America’s most recognized patriotic anthem, God Bless The USA.
This American Bible invites you to explore God's word anywhere, at any time with easy-to-read clear print and a slim design. This Bible will deliver an inspiring experience in the patriotic American Standard Version translation. This Bible is perfect to take with you to church, or to Bible study, and to your work and on your travels. Let the world know you by your acts. As a true American Bible it also features:
- Lyrics to “God Bless The USA” by Lee Greenwood
- The US Constitution
- The Bill of Rights
- The Declaration of Independence
- The Pledge of Allegiance
This Bible has a high quality cover made of imitation leather graphics achieving our discounted price.
Product details indicated that the book was a standard trade book size and was 418 pages long.
- ASIN: B0CZJ53NDL
- Publisher: Independently published (March 29, 2024)
- Language:English
- Paperback: 418 pages
- ISBN-13: 979-8321139240
- Item Weight: 1.55 pounds
- Dimensions: 6 x 0.95 x 9 inches
But there was no "search inside"
feature available, only a flat image of the front cover, which
looked just like the front cover for the $60.00 edition. You
could zoom over that image but you could not search inside the
book.
My original comment about the above was this: 'But hey, it's
cheaper than $60.00. Even if the cover is fake leather, and this
is not THE edition specifically endorsed by the Mango Messiah,
and even if it apparently doesn't have a "handwritten"
version of the chorus to "God Bless The USA"... hey,
it's got all of those important patriotic Murican documents in it
along with the word-o-god, and it's got the flag on the cover, so
really, what's not to love?'
I guess the fact that it doesn't exist any more (if it ever did)
is what's not to love.
So what happened? A hack? An AI-generated listing? Or did the
book actually exist, but the greedy sellers and promoters of the
$60 version discovered it and had the listing removed?
Your guess
is as good as mine. All I can tell you is that currently, if you
type the ISBN or ASIN (which I listed in the product details
above) in your search engine, the top result is a link to the
Amazon page -- but when you click that link you get a cute
picture of a doggy (presumably one of the "dogs of
Amazon") and the message, "SORRY, we couldn't find that
page." If you type the ASIN or ISBN into Amazon's search
engine, you'll get a message that says, "No results... Try
checking your spelling or use more general terms."
So I guess you're stuck with the $60 version for now.
If only it were just funny.
On one level, the tawdry
Trump tome is just another in a long line of comical Trump grifts
like the tacky gold high-tops, overpriced low-tops, and Trump
toilet water that caused a deluge of
well-deserved ridicule just last month. In fact, the Bible is
being marketed and sold by the same folks who are selling the
footwear and eau d'ouche. (I should also note that as of
this posting on March 30, 2024, the Trump GoFundMe grift that's
run by a billionaire Scientologist couple, and that I cited in
the shoe-and-stinkum post and in a previous one, has exceeded
$2 million sucker bucks.)
Not surprisingly the Internet has been working overtime to
entertain itself with snarks and snipes about the God Bless The
USA Bible. Among zillions of other offerings, an author at
Religion News Service named Tyler Huckabee wrote on March
27, 2024 that the Trump Bible is the Bible that America deserves.
America, alas, does not deserve the Gideon Bible. A free gift just sitting there for anybody who might want to read it? Well, that just seems like a slap in the face to all the hard-working Americans who had to pay good money to buy their own Bibles! Maybe the Americans who want to read the Bible should have thought of that sooner and planned ahead instead of sitting around waiting for the Gideons to bail them out.
No, the Gideon Bible may be ubiquitous but it does not capture the true spirit of the United States. For that, we must turn to a new kind of Bible, and a very different kind of salesman. We must turn to Lee Greenwood. We must turn to the God Bless the USA Bible. We must turn to America’s favorite Christian, former/future(?) President, convicted criminal and attempted insurrectionist Donald Trump...
...It’s the literary adaptation of “In God We Trust” on the dollar bill. It is the perfect encapsulation of American Christianity. It is the inevitable climax of white evangelicalism.
And that brings us directly to the part that
isn't so funny. For even though it's comic relief on one level,
on another level the Trump Bible is part of a much larger and seriously menacing Christofascist
movement. Trump himself is basically a
Christofascist tool in ways he probably doesn't realize (even as
the fictional Cersei Lannister in Game Of Thrones didn't
realize until too late that she was a
tool of very powerful religious zealots, the Faith Militant).
The fact that so many folks who consider themselves “Christians”
are apparently not the least bit outraged by Cheeto Jeezus embracing comparisons of his struggles to
those of Original Jeezus shows that
Trumpism really is a cult.
As for the evangelical “leaders” who are
giving Trump a pass, their true motives have been apparent for
decades: for them it’s all about power and ego and money rather
than the teachings of Christ. In their (unholy) book, the end --
creating an American theocracy/plutocracy -- justifies the means,
and at the moment, Trump is one of their most powerful means.
The fact that conservative Christians share Trump's sense of
persecution reinforces the alliance. In an October 2022 article on The New Republic site, author Brynn Tannehill wrote,
'Conservative Christians have a deep sense of victimhood and fear about a secular America and are willing to end
democracy to prevent it. As [political commentator] David Frum noted, “If conservatives
become convinced that they cannot win democratically, they will
not abandon conservatism, they will abandon democracy.”'
And we have all seen that Trump is an expert at playing the victim, and that he is all too willing to abandon
democracy to achieve his own goals of remaining in power/getting
back in power/staying in power indefinitely.
Looked at in this light it's not at all difficult to figure out
why, despite their veneer of godliness and their willingness to
judge almost anyone else who doesn't live up to their standards,
the Christian reich leadership is more than willing to overlook
Trump's "flaws." Rather than sanction him for his sins,
they work overtime portraying him as an instrument of God who was
sent to save America and the world from a host of imaginary
enemies. They shamelessly stroke his ego and bask in his orange
glow as they continually fuel, and and are fueled by, his messianic messaging.
We have to outvote the MAGAts and the Christofascists this
November. It's going to be a long, hard campaign season, but
American democracy and even world democracy depend upon the
outcome in November.
In the meantime, we can expect more tacky Trump products -- not
to mention more performative piety from Trump himself, whose
lifelong creed, clearly, is, "Let us prey."
This post has been updated and amended
since its original publication on March 30, 2024. ~ CC
Related
Donald Isn't the Only Trump Shilling Bibles: On the The Bulwark site, April 2, 2024, Bulwark
political reporter Joe Perticone shared that Donald Trump Junior,
aka DJTJ, aka Traitor Tot, has thrown his
coke-addled support behind the We the People Bible. This
Bible is considerably more pricey than Daddy's, retailing for
$90. For the truly patriotic and/or faithful there are bundle
options such as the "Liberty bundle" ($145) and the
"Faith bundle" ($170).
Turns out this isn't new news; Traitor Tot has actually been touting this Bible since
at least late 2022. But it's worth
noting anyway.
Perticone's Bulwark article also offers an interesting history of
other politically controversial Bibles in American public life,
dating back to Thomas Jefferson's redacted Gospels, The Life
and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. In more recent history,
politically controversial Bibles have been various flavors of
"patriotic" scripture that are closely tied to
right-wing politics, so in this context, the Trump-endorsed
Bibles aren't an aberration in and of themselves. And they
wouldn't even be newsworthy but for the deeply amoral father and
son's ludicrous posturing about embracing the values, religious or
secular, upon which the United States of America was founded.
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