A Brazen Moment of Christian Nationalism at Trump's Inauguration - Ooops by David Corn

[justaprogressive]

There were plenty of troubling moments during the string of inauguration events for the second presidency of Donald Trump. These include the multiple times Trump lied during his inaugural address and other appearances (including when he insulted the courageous firefighters in California by claiming the LA fires were burning “without even a token of defense”), Elon Musk’s Nazi-or-Nazi-ish salute, Proud Boys marching in Washington, DC, and the presence of the tech overlords on the stage in the Capitol Rotunda sucking up to Trump. (Did you see Jeff Bezos waving at Trump?) But one of the most disturbing displays of Trumpism came at the start of his “victory rally,” held on Sunday at the Capitol One arena in downtown Washington, DC.

After tens of thousands of Trump fanatics stood on line in rain and sleet for hours and failed to gain entry—thousands of seats were reserved for Trump donors and VIPs—the event opened with a prayer from Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma, two Hollywood actors (with middling resumés) who host a Christian podcast called Girls Gone Bible. (The two, who preach sobriety and modesty, have drawn criticism for posting sexy snaps of themselves.)

It’s hardly unusual for a Trump rally to begin with a Christian invocation. But this introduction had a sharp Christian nationalism vibe. Halili shouted, “Thank you, Jesus, for today. Seriously!” Then she reworked the Lord’s Prayer to include Trump: “Your kingdom come, Lord. Your will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven. In America, as it is in Heaven. In the life of President Donald Trump, as it is in heaven.” This rewrite rankled some, including Jenna Ellis, the former Trump campaign attorney, who retweeted a social media post that accused Halili of butchering the classic prayer and that added, “YIKES. Welcome to North Korea.”

Reitsma then weighed in, thanking God for “choosing President Donald Trump as a vessel for your nation.” As is customary in such instances, she beseeched God to look out for Trump: “I pray that you will protect his mind and guard his heart. I pray that you will place a shield around our president, his family, and upon this nation.” She added, “That when opposition comes his way, may you provide angelic protection.” That seemed close to suggesting that God ought to intervene if critics or opponents seek to challenge Trump.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/a-brazen-moment-of-christian-nationalism-at-trumps-inauguration/