Trump Bible Reading Event Livestreams This Week

President Trump will read verses from the Old Testament that will be streamed across the country Tuesday evening as part of a week-long "America Reads the Bible" event to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Objective Facts

President Donald Trump will read verses from the Old Testament that will be streamed across the country Tuesday evening as part of a week-long "America Reads the Bible" event to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump recorded his two-and-a-half-minute passage, 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, last week, and it will be played at the Museum of the Bible and online via the faith-based Pure Flix streaming service Tuesday evening. The America Reads the Bible event — with each participant reading a passage aloud — is being livestreamed this week from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations, with Trump and many leading Christian supporters and top Republicans participating in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a "return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country." The event is slated to feature Trump's video reading a passage that called for national repentance in ancient Israel — words that have been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation. The reading comes at a complicated moment for the president's relationship with American Christians, as Trump's recent AI-generated social media post depicting him as Jesus healing a sick person spurred rare pushback from key allies in the Christian right.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Brian Kaylor, author of "The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power" and president of Word&Way, a progressive site covering faith and politics, characterized the event as "very much a right-wing MAGA, Christian nationalist effort," adding that if organizers "wanted this to be a unifying American project, there would have been a whole lot more attention to getting political diversity and ideological diversity." MS NOW opinion writer characterized "America Reads the Bible" as a marathon Bible reading organized by a coalition of far-right Christian groups, officially part of the coalition's events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but unofficially coming days after Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV and sparked backlash by posting an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself depicted as Jesus Christ. Critics argue that Christian nationalism doesn't engage the Bible as a text that makes demands but rather mines scripture for verses that seem to endorse existing political agendas about national strength, cultural dominance and the idea that God has chosen this nation and, by extension, its current leadership. MS NOW opinion blogger noted that Trump is slated to participate in the "America Reads the Bible" initiative during which he is expected to recite Scripture that was read by one of his supporters at the January 6 insurrection, and that his participation follows what some critics have called "idolatrous" and "blasphemous" behavior from the president. The irony of Trump, who has proudly said he has never asked for forgiveness, reading about repentance is noted as a cruel joke, with far-right Christians having consistently forgiven Trump's many sins, from war and deportations in office to adultery out of it.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Bunni Pounds, founder and president of Christians Engaged who helped organize the event, told Fox News that they "needed someone special to read Second Chronicles, chapter seven" and that they set aside the passage for Trump to read. Fox News reported that the passage Trump will read was deliberately reserved for the president because of its decades-long role as a call to prayer in America, with the Chronicles passage being a major theme at annual National Day of Prayer events for decades. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, speaking with Fox News Digital at the event's red carpet, said the United States is at a "pivotal time" and that the weeklong event comes at a moment when Americans need to reconnect with Scripture because "People talk about the importance of the Bible… it's one of the best-selling books, but one of the least-read books." Right-wing commentator Eric Daugherty called Trump's reading "incredible," while 19-year-old MAGA influencer Bo Loudon shared a clip of the reading on X, writing that it "made every Christian voter across the USA proud to be an American" and adding "I voted for this. God bless Trump." Bunni Pounds, the founder of the group which organized the event, said "It's a powerful statement that he decided to read that passage."

Deep Dive

The specific passage Trump is reading—2 Chronicles 7:11-22—is described as one that called for national repentance in ancient Israel and has been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation. The passage is often cited by Christian nationalists who invoke it when seeking to bolster their argument that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should remain one. The belief that America was established as a Christian nation and retains a special divine destiny has become foundational to Christian nationalism, and the passage choice matters because it is a president reading a specific passage that is being used to endorse a theology of American exceptionalism rooted in a special covenant identity that comes directly from God. What left-leaning critics like Brian Kaylor at Word&Way get right is that the passage selection is deliberately symbolic and serves to elevate Christian nationalism's theological project. What they may overstate is the novelty of Trump's Bible reading itself—multiple former presidents have publicly expressed Christian faith. What right-leaning supporters like Bunni Pounds get right is that the verse has genuine historical significance in American evangelical prayer traditions. What they may understate is how deliberately this event assembles a partisan roster and uses America's 250th anniversary to promote a specific theological vision of America as a covenant nation. The unresolved question is whether this represents legitimate religious expression by government officials or an unconstitutional promotion of a particular religious ideology through state mechanisms.

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Trump Bible Reading Event Livestreams This Week

President Trump will read verses from the Old Testament that will be streamed across the country Tuesday evening as part of a week-long "America Reads the Bible" event to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Apr 21, 2026· Updated Apr 22, 2026
What's Going On

President Donald Trump will read verses from the Old Testament that will be streamed across the country Tuesday evening as part of a week-long "America Reads the Bible" event to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Trump recorded his two-and-a-half-minute passage, 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, last week, and it will be played at the Museum of the Bible and online via the faith-based Pure Flix streaming service Tuesday evening. The America Reads the Bible event — with each participant reading a passage aloud — is being livestreamed this week from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations, with Trump and many leading Christian supporters and top Republicans participating in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a "return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country." The event is slated to feature Trump's video reading a passage that called for national repentance in ancient Israel — words that have been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation. The reading comes at a complicated moment for the president's relationship with American Christians, as Trump's recent AI-generated social media post depicting him as Jesus healing a sick person spurred rare pushback from key allies in the Christian right.

Left says: Critics argue that no leader of a nation committed to religious freedom for all should promote any one religious scripture, as it alienates Americans who don't view the Bible as a sacred text and manipulates and devalues the faith of those who do. Framing Trump's return to the White House as a sign of a coming national revival, the verse for MAGA preachers serves to endorse not just generic American Christian nationalism but one that centers Trump as the new King Solomon.
Right says: Trump said in a statement commemorating the event that the Bible is "indelibly woven into our national identity and way of life." Bunni Pounds stated, "It's a powerful statement that he decided to read that passage."
✓ Common Ground
Both sides acknowledge that organizers invited Democratic members of Congress as well as leaders of some denominations that might be considered progressive, but that they didn't accept the invitations.
Several voices across the political spectrum agree that the Bible passage Trump is reading—2 Chronicles 7:14—has historically been invoked for decades at National Day of Prayer events and conservative Christian rallies.
Both Trump's evangelical supporters and critics acknowledged that Trump faced rare criticism from his evangelical supporters for circulating a social media meme depicting him as a Jesus-like healer surrounded by patriotic symbols.
Objective Deep Dive

The specific passage Trump is reading—2 Chronicles 7:11-22—is described as one that called for national repentance in ancient Israel and has been used prominently for decades by those promoting the belief that America has been and should be a Christian nation. The passage is often cited by Christian nationalists who invoke it when seeking to bolster their argument that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and should remain one. The belief that America was established as a Christian nation and retains a special divine destiny has become foundational to Christian nationalism, and the passage choice matters because it is a president reading a specific passage that is being used to endorse a theology of American exceptionalism rooted in a special covenant identity that comes directly from God. What left-leaning critics like Brian Kaylor at Word&Way get right is that the passage selection is deliberately symbolic and serves to elevate Christian nationalism's theological project. What they may overstate is the novelty of Trump's Bible reading itself—multiple former presidents have publicly expressed Christian faith. What right-leaning supporters like Bunni Pounds get right is that the verse has genuine historical significance in American evangelical prayer traditions. What they may understate is how deliberately this event assembles a partisan roster and uses America's 250th anniversary to promote a specific theological vision of America as a covenant nation. The unresolved question is whether this represents legitimate religious expression by government officials or an unconstitutional promotion of a particular religious ideology through state mechanisms.

◈ Tone Comparison

Left-leaning critics use language like "grifty," "blasphemous," "idolatrous," and "cruel joke" to describe Trump's participation, emphasizing hypocrisy and Christian nationalism. Right-leaning supporters use more positive framing—"powerful statement," "incredible," "pivotal time"—emphasizing spiritual renewal and faith-based governance.