Trump and God: Religion raises the stakes at Republican convention
MILWAUKEE — The religious fervor apparent from the very start of the Republican National Convention crescendoed to the point when a Donald Trump-impersonating pastor came on stage the first night.
“We are made in God's image, amen, and we won't shy away from speaking that simple truth ever,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Monday.
Next came Mark Robinson, lieutenant governor of North Carolina and candidate for North Carolina governor, who thanked his “Lord and savior Jesus Christ for giving us my life, health and strength.”
Want more breaking political news? Click for the latest headlines at Raw Story.
“While the left is trying to divide us with identity politics, we are here tonight because we believe that America is always, and should be, one nation under God,” said Sarah Workman, an Arizona single mother.
Evoking a pastor-like delivery himself, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) came out raring:
“If you didn't believe in miracles before Saturday, you better be believing right now. Thank God almighty that we live in a country that still believes in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and Alpha and the Omega,” Scott said.
Overt religiosity has long been a feature of Republican national conventions.
But this Republican National Convention is different.
In hallways and corridors, delegates spoke of the Holy Spirit's presence, the precious blood of Jesus being upon them. A true battle between the forces of good and evil was already underway, one man told another as they walked onto the Fiserv Forum delegation floor.
Only days before, a gunman nearly took the life of former President Donald Trump. And nothing short of divine intervention kept Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, alive during that assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pa., Scott said.
“Our God still saves. He still delivers, and he still sets free, because on Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but an American lion got back up on his feet, and he roared.”
Before giving a blessing at the close of Monday night’s program, Pastor James Roemke did an impression of Trump, evoking applause and a grin from the former president himself.
Pastor James Roemke conducting a prayer on Monday at the Republican National Convention. (C-SPAN)
“You’re gonna be so blessed. You’re gonna be tired of being blessed. I guarantee it. Believe me,” Roemke said.
Christianity continued to be a refrain throughout the next two days of the convention — sometimes to inspire, and other times to fight.
Savannah Chrisley, a reality TV personality whose parents are serving prison time for conspiracy to commit fraud and tax evasion, said Democrats are using the justice system to “punish their enemies” on the right.
“Let's face it, look at what they're doing to countless Christians and conservatives that the government has labeled extremists or even worse. Meanwhile, the Democrats are releasing actual violent offenders who have hurt innocent people,” Chrisley said.
Chrisley called Steve Bannon’s recent imprisonment for contempt of Congress — for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to a Jan. 6, 2021 investigation — unjust. She read from the Bible verse, Proverbs 24:16
“‘For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.’ It's about time we start seeing people stumble. We need to rise above the persecution. We need to hold rogue prosecutors accountable,” Chrisley said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said the Bible verse, Galatians 6:9, could serve as guidance for “the difficult path ahead to save America.”
“‘Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap if we do not give up.’ We, the people, will never give up on President Trump, and we will never give up on the United States of America,” Stefanik said. “God bless you. God bless President Donald J. Trump, and God bless the United States of America.”
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) wore large cross earrings during her speech on the third day of the convention.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday. (C-SPAN)
Country singer, Lee Greenwood, whose popular song, “God Bless the U.S.A.,” is a Trump favorite — he usually walks out to the song at campaign rallies — performed live throughout the convention.
Greenwood signed autographs for fans and sold an autographed photo and Bible set for $75 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, near the Fiserv Forum.
Lee Greenwood merchandise for sale at the Baird Center in Milwaukee. (Mark Alesia/Raw Story)
‘Not surprising’ focus on Christianity
The overt displays of Christianity were “not surprising,” said Peter Montgomery, managing director of Right Wing Watch who specializes in writing about religious discourse.
“Often, the overlap between the MAGA movement and the Christian nationalist movement is very large,” Montgomery told Raw Story. “Trump often plays to that. He knows that he got elected in large part because of the overwhelming support he got from conservative evangelicals, and he's counting on their support to put him back in the White House.”
The assassination attempt on Trump further imbued him with savior-like status — some of his followers consider him “ordained by God to be president,” Montgomery said.
Trump used “Scripture language” in his posts immediately after the shooting on Saturday, further fueling that narrative, Montgomery said.
“It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. “We will FEAR NOT, but instead remain resilient in our Faith and Defiant in the face of Wickedness.”
Some speakers outside of the convention hall took the Christianity devotion to a more extreme level.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson told attendees at a Heritage Foundation event in Milwaukee on Monday that they are in “spiritual battle” against those who want to “eliminate” Christians, Right Wing Watch reported, and Moms for Liberty also evoked the idea of "spiritual warfare" at a town hall in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Trump — twice divorced and recently convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from hush money payments to a former porn actress who says they had an affair — became the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to change his religion in office, in 2020. He now identifies as a non-denominational Christian instead of Presbyterian, according to a report from Christianity Today.
Trump is not known to regularly attend church services although he counts numerous conservative faith leaders among his political allies.
On the other hand, President Joe Biden is a lifelong Catholic who makes a habit of attending Sunday mass each week.
Bibles being sold with photos and autographs from Lee Greenwood. (Mark Alesia/Raw Story)
‘Satanic chants’ and ‘FALSE GODS’
While Christianity took center stage at the convention, other religions were represented at the conference.
Roemke’s benediction on Monday was followed by a prayer from Sikh Republican Harmeet Dhillon, a leader of the California Republican Party.
Yet, her presence was criticized by some MAGA supporters.
“They did have some non-Christian people doing prayers, which I actually thought was a good thing to show some respect for religious diversity in America, but even that gesture was not welcomed by some of the folks on the Christian right,” Montgomery said.
Right Wing watch compiled a thread of Christian nationalists who railed against Dhillon’s prayer.
“Day 1 of the RNC was complete with satanic chants and multiple prayers to FALSE GODS,” wrote white nationalist and alt-right internet personality, Stew Peters, on X.
Jewish Republicans showed their presence at the convention, holding signs on the convention floor.
Shabbos Kestenbaum, a self-proclaimed “proud Orthodox Jew” spoke on Wednesday about the anti-semitism he said he experienced at Harvard University and expressed his support of “President Trump's policies to expel foreign students who violate our laws, harass our Jewish classmates and desecrate our freedoms.”
For three Jewish attendees of the Republican National Convention, they all agreed that the Republican Party they know is open and welcoming to Jews — and people of all faith traditions who believe in conservative values and support Trump.
Gail Weiss, Steven Leventhal and Jodi Schwartz — Jewish supporters of Donald Trump who attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee during July 2024 — said they've always felt welcome within the party and lauded its support for Israel. (Dave Levinthal/Raw Story)
Asked if the convention’s focus on Christianity and overt displays of Christian imagery concerned them, they shook their heads no and said it didn’t bother them in the least.
“I love my Christian friends. I love Christian Republicans. I’ve always been welcomed,” Gail Weiss, a Florida alternate delegate from Walton County, Fla., told Raw Story in Milwaukee.
The Republican Party’s commitment to Israel is proof that the party cares deeply about Jews both in America and abroad, the attendees said.
“We all need spirituality. We all need God,” said Jodi Schwartz, a Florida delegate representing Palm Beach County, while holding a sign that read “We Are Jews for Trump.” “Democrats — their god is government.”
Steven Leventhal, Republican convention attendee, held a blue and white sign that said “TRUMP” in both Western and Hebrew script.
“The Republican Party is better for religion and for religious — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, any faith,” he said. “ “What’s good for Israel is good for America. We need to support the only democracy in the Middle East, and Republicans support Israel.”
Benny Rosenberger, an alternate delegate from Brooklyn, N.Y., wasn't bothered by invocations to a Christian God.
"We're different religions, but I agree with [Tim Scott] that God should protect [Trump],” Rosenberger, who is Jewish Orthodox, told Raw Story. "God has to save America. We've deviated from the vision of the founding fathers."
