Trump’s Bible Moment Sparks Buzz After War of Words With Pope Leo XIV

A White House Bible reading is now on the schedule - and it comes at a moment when Donald Trump is already under increased attention from religious communities.

The president is set to appear in a video message from the Oval Office on April 21 as part of the “America Reads The Bible” event, a nationwide program marking 250 years of the Bible in the United States, according to The Irish Star.

The timing of the appearance has drawn notice. Trump’s recent exchange with Pope Leo XIV has put his standing with parts of the Christian community in focus.

The pope has described the Iran conflict as an "unjust war” and criticized Trump’s warning to "destroy Iranian civilization" if U.S. demands were not met, calling the remark "truly unacceptable.”

Trump responded on Truth Social on April 12, calling the Pope "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" and also stating he played a role in the pope's election to the papacy.

He later repeated the criticism to reporters, including a claim that the pope said "Iran can have a nuclear weapon." The Pope later said it was "not in his interest" to continue the dispute.

According to recent polling, disapproval among Catholic respondents is prevalent, especially following the intense exchange. Another widely circulated moment involved an AI-generated image brought forward by President Trump depicting him as Jesus, later removed. The president stated that he believed the image showed him as a 'doctor.'

Talking about the upcoming reading, Trump is expected to read a passage from 2 Chronicles 7:11-22. It is also notable that the section features the verse: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Bunni Pounds explained the selection process: "We needed somebody special to read Second Chronicles chapter seven." "As my director and I were praying over different sections of scripture, it came to us that this is such a critical passage for the body of Christ."

She added, "I think he’s sending a message that faith matters in this country, and that it’s important not only personally, but for our nation overall."

Trump is likely to be accompanied by some of the senior officials including Marco Rubio, Susie Wiles, and Pete Hegseth. Not to mention that Pete Hegseth recently drew attention during a Pentagon prayer event tied to the Iran conflict. While referencing “CSAR 25:17,” he described it as linked to Ezekiel 25:17, but the wording matched a speech from Pulp Fiction delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s character.

The Oval Office appearance now adds another moment to a series of recent developments involving Trump, religion, and public messaging, with attention continuing ahead of the scheduled reading.