Donald Trump tried to drop a powerful quote during his big announcement — but whatever he said left people laughing, wincing, and wondering where on earth he pulled that line from..
Trump framed the policy like a Sunday lesson, leaning into a moral argument tied to the nation’s care for vulnerable children.
‘Look At His Actions:’ Trump Tried to Score Points with Big D.C. Gesture, But Fans Quickly Reminded Him of His Email Campaign to Get Into Heaven
He said, “The Bible tells us that one of the measures of any society is how it cares for vulnerable children and orphans. So important and so big in the Bible. As we ‘Make America Great Again,’ we are going to protect American children in foster care.”
It was a surprisingly tender tone from the same leader who didn’t blink when millions of low-income people temporarily lost SNAP benefits during the federal crisis. So when Trump shifted into biblical language, viewers weren’t exactly sure whether he was quoting, paraphrasing, or reaching for a passage from a version of the Bible available exclusively at Mar-a-Lago.
“Says the man who never read the bible,” one person tweeted. Another X user added, “Like he’s ever opened a Bible.”
2 corinthians is his favorite book. https://t.co/q7gZOXIY9T
— Tony (@Mesnia1016) November 13, 2025
Someone else jumped in, unsure whether any of this matched actual scripture: “Is that in the bible, my bible studying friends? I mean does it state that?”
Another said, “What scripture pastor Trump?
Still someone else pointed out the hypocrisy in what he said. “Oh my did Trump really just spew that hypocritical mess.”
Others took issue with who he is and how he moves.
And finally, someone delivered the knockout punch: “He doesn’t give a [damn] about the Bible. No amount of image cleansing can undo his past.”
Complicating matters is Trump’s long, bumpy relationship with public declarations of faith.
Just over a year ago, at a Turning Point USA event, he offered one of the most head-tilting moments of his political career when he told a room of evangelicals, “I love you Christians. I’m [not] Christian,” while tapping his chest. Some claimed he actually said the opposite, but either way the moment did nothing to solidify his spiritual identity.
He followed that up by telling them that if they voted for him, in four years they “won’t have to vote again,” as if casting ballots was a chore he could fix permanently.
DANG! Trump tells his followers there will be no need to vote again if he’s elected!
Still don’t think he wants to be a dictator?
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) July 27, 2024
The irony is that Trump does have a meaningful Bible in his life: the one given to him by his mother in 1955 after his Sunday School graduation at First Presbyterian Church.
He recently delivered it to the Museum of the Bible and spoke warmly about its journey from his childhood home to the nation’s capital.
Even the former reality star’s inaugurations have added fuel to the narrative. At this past January’s ceremony, Melania held both his mother’s Bible and the Lincoln Bible and he didn’t place his hand on either during the oath, even though he’d used both four years earlier. It was another detail that left people wondering how exactly he decides when and how scripture becomes part of the ritual.
Why didn't he place his hand on the Bible? That is curious….
— Alexander (@Gay_Chr1st1an) September 8, 2025
Then there’s his knack for turning anything — even holy text — into a merchandising opportunity.
In 2024, he got involved with the “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible,” a $59.99 King James Version complete with founding documents — including a version of the Constitution that omits all amendments after the Bill of Rights — and a handwritten chorus from country singer Lee Greenwood. (Greenwood came up with this version of the Bible and sold it under his own name for years before Trump added his imprimatur to it in 2024.)
In June, the White House released Trump’s financial disclosure forms showing he earned royalties of $1,306,035 from the “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible” last year.
He’s also sold another version of that Bible for almost a hundred dollars.
Those references have tripped him up before. His introduction of “Two Corinthians” during a Liberty University appearance became an instant classic, followed by his attempt to cite a proverb that required staff clarification about what verse he meant.
Then there was the time that he made up a scripture, “never bend to envy.”
lol
— I’m Not That Short (@SheBleedsHipHop) November 14, 2025
Each episode added to the long-running question: how much of his mother’s Bible did he ever actually read?
All of this explains why his latest biblical moment sparked such a reaction.
Thus, when Trump quotes scripture, people don’t simply listen — they analyze, rewind, screenshot, and ask if that’s really in the Bible, or is the president just flipping pages until something sounds good?
‘Oh My, Did Trump Really Just Spew That?’: Trump Says Heaven Is Off the Table for Him, Then Slips Into a Strange Spiritual Moment That Sparks Confusion