🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
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@mattsheffield “[C]hoices by GOP elites and voters ultimately led to the rise of Donald Trump, an event which many political observers couldn’t anticipate.”
Woo hahaha Trump winning the 2016 Republican primary was not a surprise to me *at all.* I started paying attention to national politics when Newt Gringrich was the face of the GOP and they kept getting worse after that!
Him winning the general election was a really nasty shock though.
@MisuseCase I also predicted he would win the nomination in 2015. No one in journalism believed me.
But I did get it wrong in the general election also. Many Republican elites at that time thought he would lose to Clinton as well.
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Trumpism is a new religion. It has its own clergy like Paula White and Lance Wallnau. It has its own commandments like "thou shalt never disparage Trump."
It has its own sacraments of watching him on TV and buying his merch.
It's worked astonishingly well to remake Evangelical faith.
As an American pope, Leo XIV has a unique grasp of what Trump has done. And he's using his power to stand against it.
Lots more in the piece so please read and boost! Thanks!
@mattsheffield As soon as you spend your life believing made up stuff is real and kowtowing to authority then you are primed to believe any made up stuff and kowtow.
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Trumpism is a new religion. It has its own clergy like Paula White and Lance Wallnau. It has its own commandments like "thou shalt never disparage Trump."
It has its own sacraments of watching him on TV and buying his merch.
It's worked astonishingly well to remake Evangelical faith.
As an American pope, Leo XIV has a unique grasp of what Trump has done. And he's using his power to stand against it.
Lots more in the piece so please read and boost! Thanks!
PS: Trump is also doing the exact same thing regarding Judaism. He sees himself as the rightful leader of all American Jews, even though he is not Jewish
Trump accused of antisemitism for saying Jewish Democrats hate their religion and Israel | CBC News
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has charged that Jews who vote for Democrats "hate Israel" and hate "their religion," igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
CBC (www.cbc.ca)
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/Suddenly cutting funding to Catholic Charities in Miami is a typical, petty, and cruel tRump move. Happened earlier this week.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article315410233.html -
Suddenly cutting funding to Catholic Charities in Miami is a typical, petty, and cruel tRump move. Happened earlier this week.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article315410233.html@donray Yes, awful.
I did note it in the essay fwiw. But it's 3800 words so I could only summarize so much here.
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PS: Trump is also doing the exact same thing regarding Judaism. He sees himself as the rightful leader of all American Jews, even though he is not Jewish
Trump accused of antisemitism for saying Jewish Democrats hate their religion and Israel | CBC News
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has charged that Jews who vote for Democrats "hate Israel" and hate "their religion," igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
CBC (www.cbc.ca)
@mattsheffield seems familiar
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@mattsheffield seems familiar
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/@mattsheffield I've always known Chump was an evil moron, but now I'm like, "Anti-Christ?" Oh... Now things are making much more sense. Damn this guy!
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/@mattsheffield @inthehands There is no Sky-Daddy. The bible is a work of fiction. Religion causes war. Tax all churches.
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/@mattsheffield kinda feel like this belongs here
https://hachyderm.io/@mogul/116412768335463383 -
Trump entered politics in 2015 offering far-right Christians a deal: "Christianity is under tremendous siege. If I'm there, you're going to have plenty of power."
He's kept his end of the bargain. All he asks is absolute, worshipful obedience in return.
People often mock Trumpers as cultists, but the disturbing nature of their beliefs is still underestimated.
If you go to Amazon, you can find hundreds of children's books about Trump, including a book showing him at Jesus's birth:
@mattsheffield And he holds a shepherd's crook, a tool and symbol of care and protection.
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Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — commands the loyalty of 60 million U.S. Catholics and refuses to submit.
He cannot be praised into silence or ignored into irrelevance. So he must be attacked. Trump doesn't see Leo as a religious leader — he sees him as an illegitimate rival.
Before Leo was selected, Trump said that he wanted to be the pontiff: "I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice," he said.
@mattsheffield does Pope Leo _really_ commands the loyalty of US Catholics?
These does not match my experience of roman catholics anywhere in the world.
At best, he's an influence.
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/@mattsheffield so tRumph is a megalomaniac and has god-delusions too. He is becoming more dangerous by the minute. Time for the straight jacket. He’s completely off his rocker.
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🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity.
This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
https://flux.community/matthew-sheffield/2026/04/trump-hates-pope-leo-because-he-sees-himself-as-the-real-vicar-of-christ/@mattsheffield I get the distinct impression that Trump could drop the act altogether and just address Evangelicals directly with "I am the literal Beast that Revelation talks about, come get my mark on your forehead, if you don't you're a radical liberal" and a significant number of them would just form an orderly queue.
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Trumpism is a new religion. It has its own clergy like Paula White and Lance Wallnau. It has its own commandments like "thou shalt never disparage Trump."
It has its own sacraments of watching him on TV and buying his merch.
It's worked astonishingly well to remake Evangelical faith.
As an American pope, Leo XIV has a unique grasp of what Trump has done. And he's using his power to stand against it.
Lots more in the piece so please read and boost! Thanks!
Remaking evangelism into what he has is not that big of a shift. Change a few words out you have slightly different iconography.. and Shazam do you have Trumpism?
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Pope Leo XIV — the first American pope — commands the loyalty of 60 million U.S. Catholics and refuses to submit.
He cannot be praised into silence or ignored into irrelevance. So he must be attacked. Trump doesn't see Leo as a religious leader — he sees him as an illegitimate rival.
Before Leo was selected, Trump said that he wanted to be the pontiff: "I’d like to be pope. That would be my number one choice," he said.
@mattsheffield And then also: "Avoiding STDs in 1990s Manhattan, Trump memorably clarified, was 'my personal Vietnam … I feel like a great and very brave soldier'."
Is the pope Catholic? JD Vance thinks he has an answer | Marina Hyde
When it comes to theology, Donald Trump’s vice-president clearly knows best. Are we about to see an American break with Rome, asks Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
the Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
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Trumpism is a new religion. It has its own clergy like Paula White and Lance Wallnau. It has its own commandments like "thou shalt never disparage Trump."
It has its own sacraments of watching him on TV and buying his merch.
It's worked astonishingly well to remake Evangelical faith.
As an American pope, Leo XIV has a unique grasp of what Trump has done. And he's using his power to stand against it.
Lots more in the piece so please read and boost! Thanks!
@mattsheffield The #MAGA #cult is a movement of fake #Christians that are more appropriately described as #Talibangelicals.
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Trump entered politics in 2015 offering far-right Christians a deal: "Christianity is under tremendous siege. If I'm there, you're going to have plenty of power."
He's kept his end of the bargain. All he asks is absolute, worshipful obedience in return.
People often mock Trumpers as cultists, but the disturbing nature of their beliefs is still underestimated.
If you go to Amazon, you can find hundreds of children's books about Trump, including a book showing him at Jesus's birth:
@mattsheffield Very interesting thread. Here is my thought , which (if valid) offers some hope.
The “prosperity gospel” should have been more of a warning of the rise of Trump, specifically, of the transactional nature of the far right Christian nationalist system. “You do this for me and I’ll do that for you” is why we see uber-wealthy, unapologetic televangelists and no pushback from their congregations. Pictures of Trump at the manger are part of the deal, not necessarily reflective of deeply held beliefs. Trump’s free fall plunge in approval rating tells us the deal has fallen apart. He can’t and didn’t deliver, indeed, had no intention of doing so. Trump has always been a grifter. They are still poor and for many, life and opportunity is worse. If they had a deeply held, self-reinforcing belief system it would be more robust to contradiction.
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Trump entered politics in 2015 offering far-right Christians a deal: "Christianity is under tremendous siege. If I'm there, you're going to have plenty of power."
He's kept his end of the bargain. All he asks is absolute, worshipful obedience in return.
People often mock Trumpers as cultists, but the disturbing nature of their beliefs is still underestimated.
If you go to Amazon, you can find hundreds of children's books about Trump, including a book showing him at Jesus's birth:
Trump was at Jesus's birth not to celebrate it, but to tell Stephen Miller to separate and deport his parents, and to send the newborn alone into the welcoming arms of Herod the Great.
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@mattsheffield Very interesting thread. Here is my thought , which (if valid) offers some hope.
The “prosperity gospel” should have been more of a warning of the rise of Trump, specifically, of the transactional nature of the far right Christian nationalist system. “You do this for me and I’ll do that for you” is why we see uber-wealthy, unapologetic televangelists and no pushback from their congregations. Pictures of Trump at the manger are part of the deal, not necessarily reflective of deeply held beliefs. Trump’s free fall plunge in approval rating tells us the deal has fallen apart. He can’t and didn’t deliver, indeed, had no intention of doing so. Trump has always been a grifter. They are still poor and for many, life and opportunity is worse. If they had a deeply held, self-reinforcing belief system it would be more robust to contradiction.
@meltedcheese As a former Republican and religious fundamentalist, I can say that your analysis has merit. But a lot of people are loyal to him, not because they expect help, but because he hates the same people they do. Others just never get talked to by a politician on the left, so they have a biased viewpoint.
