To be fair, the mingling of religion and politics is not unique to Donald Trump or even Republican politicians. George W. Bush was famous for invoking the Almighty and quoting from the Bible, and both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama engaged in God-talk often as president. The politicization of religious language is an American tradition.
But this is not Bill Clinton’s America. The proliferation of social media combined with a 24/7 news cycle amplifies every word a politician speaks. So when a politician like Trump appropriates God-talk, it ripples out into the broader culture like never before.
Unlike those who’ve occupied the Oval Office in years past, the thrice-married, foul-mouthed Trump also has the added disadvantage of not being believably religious.
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