Trump’s roughly two-and-a-half-minute reading, which is slated to air Tuesday, comes after he angered many Christians with a social media post that appeared to depict him as Jesus and publicly quarreled with Pope Leo.
Bunni Pounds, the founder of Christians Engaged and an organizer of the Bible event, welcomed the president’s participation and declined to weigh in on the controversies — though she noted that the president’s reading might be relevant.
“It’s a scripture about repentance,” Pounds said. “None of us are perfect.”
The president’s reading, Second Chronicles 7:14, is among the most frequently invoked verses in American public religious life, calling on believers to “humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face… and turn from their wicked ways.”
The White House on Friday released a statement tying the initiative to the broader sweep of American history, emphasizing what it described as the Bible’s “indelible” role in shaping the nation’s identity. The statement nods to figures like John Winthrop and Abraham Lincoln, and frames the reading as part of a larger commemoration of 250 years of the Bible’s influence in America.
“We needed a similar moment in our country today,” Pounds said, describing the initiative as an attempt to bring together leaders and citizens in a shared act of reflection. “I believe it’s historic to have a sitting president read a lengthy section of Scripture with no commentary around it.”
In addition to the president, the lineup features several Cabinet officials and Republican lawmakers, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth; White House chief of staff Susie Wiles; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins; Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum; and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.