'Weaponized religion': Expert concerned about Trump scheme

U.S. President Donald Trump, in front of a painting of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, smiles during an event to announce that the Space Force Command will move from Colorado to Alabama, in the Oval Office

President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union was replete with Christian nationalist rhetoric that “weaponized” religion, according to a First Amendment journalist.

“To some religious studies experts and advocates of the separation of church and state, the language used in Trump's Feb. 24 speech and his administration more broadly is different” than that employed by previous openly-religious presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, wrote USA Today First Amendment reporter BrieAnna J. Frank.

Frank cited specific examples of this rhetoric including “In Charlie's [Charlie Kirk] memory, we must all come together to reaffirm that America is one nation under God” and “when God needs a nation to work his miracles, he knows exactly who to ask,” as well as saying “destiny is written by the hand of Providence.”

"Such sentiments resemble “an updated version of manifest destiny,” the Freedom From Religion Foundation argued in a public statement on X. They were joined by Rev. Paul Raushenbush of Interfaith Alliance, who told USA Today that the Trump administration is “the most hostile to religious freedom in generations” and has “weaponized religion for their white Christian nationalist crusade.”

Frank further reported that only 3 in 10 Americans are adherents of or sympathetic to Christian nationalism, based on a survey published in February by the Public Religion Research Institute. The Public Religion Research Institute's study also discovered that two-thirds of Christian nationalists and over one-half of sympathizers believe “immigrants are invading our country and replacing our cultural and ethnic background.” Because Christian nationalists believe America should be a white and Christian nation, Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric included “smaller, more subtle” nods to their ideology. For example, this is the case when he described Somali-Americans as coming from “parts of the world where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm.”

He added, "Importing these cultures through unrestricted immigration and open borders brings these problems right here to the USA and it's the American people who pay the price.”

Trump’s State of the Union message was notable for many other reasons. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was escorted from the chamber for holding a sign declaring that “Black People Aren’t Apes.” Trump falsely claimed that other countries are happy about his tariffs and that they could potentially replace income taxes. At one point Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called Trump a “murderer” to his face. On another occasion, Trump claimed without evidence that Democrats cheat in elections. He also had a stare down with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) while trying to trick Democrats into standing in support of his policies.

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