Trump Presidency Doesn't Have a Prayer

"More persons, on the whole, are humbugged by believing in nothing than by believing in too much." --Phineas Taylor Barnum

Let's just cut to the chase: "The Donald" has as good a chance of becoming "The President" as Pope Benedict XVI does of replacing Steven Tyler as a judge on "American Idol."

Despite the legitimate news coverage Donald Trump's flirtation with running for president in 2012 has garnered in recent days, the eccentric billionaire will never reside in the White House for one reason alone (and it's not his questionable coiffure).

The insurmountable hurdle to a Trump presidency is religion. Like it or not, there is a spiritual litmus test for the presidency and Trump undoubtedly would not pass.

For the majority of American's, Trump is far better known for his undying devotion to mammon than his love for God. Not that wealth and the presidency are mutually exclusive. Many former presidents were men of great means.

Yet Trump, twice-divorced with a very public history of philandering and questionable ethics, is not just a wealthy man. He is the poster child for conspicuous consumption and delusions of grandeur.

Surely an intelligent and accomplished man with more than average savvy about his public image and aspirations, earlier this month Trump embarked on a faith offensive when he sat down for an interview with political chief David Brody of the Christian Broadcasting Network, the house that Pat Robertson built.

"How do you see God," Brody asked.

"I believe in God," Trump began his answer. "I am Christian. I think the Bible is certainly, it is THE book. It is the thing. ... First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens is where I went to church.

"I'm a protestant, I'm a Presbyterian. And you know I've had a good relationship with the church over the years. I think religion is a wonderful thing. I think my religion is a wonderful religion," Trump said.

Brody followed up with a question about Trump's churchgoing habits.

"Well, I go as much as I can," Trump said. "Always on Christmas. Always on Easter. Always when there's a major occasion. And during the Sundays. I'm a Sunday church person. I'll go when I can."

So he's on the record a Chreaster (those who show up for church only on Christmas and Easter). It's not exactly a resounding testimony to Trump's living faith.

For his part, Brody seemed unfazed by the Donald's rather unorthodox spiritual biography.

"Donald Trump has piqued the interest of some Evangelical leaders. His bold talk is something conservative Christians like to hear," Brody wrote in an analysis of the interview. "Remember, Evangelicals tend to operate in a world of biblical absolutes. Their world is very black and white. Not many shades of gray. That's how Trump sees the world, too.

To borrow a line from "Weekend Update" hosts Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers on Saturday Night Live: Really, Brody? Really?!"

While recent polls seem to indicate that Trump could be a viable Republican presidential candidate and has garnered enough support to perhaps even prevail in a match-up against President Obama (whose birth records and religious predilections Trump has called into question in recent days), experts on the role of religion and the presidency say the mogul's political aspirations are quixotic at best.

"I'm inclined to see the Trump extravaganza as something of a sideshow," said Boston University's Stephen Prothero, author of several books about religion in American life, including A Nation of Religions: The Politics of Pluralism in Multireligious America.

"[Trump] is the P.T. Barnum of his time. In my view he's drumming up interest in his brand more than he is making a serious run for the presidency. That said, I think his candidacy is a test of sorts for where the Republican Party stands today. Is it really about economics and budgets and deficits, as Tea Party partisans pretend? In that case, the businessmen in the race (Trump and Romney) would seem to be, literally, well suited."

Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a 2008 also-ran, is often mentioned as a leading candidate for the GOP ticket in 2012. But religion-and-politics watchers repeatedly question whether the powerful evangelical bloc would support a Mormon candidate, despite his family-friendly traditional values.

But stranger things have happened in American politics.

"We've seen once-insuperable barriers fall in presidential politics -- and probably none more significant than a divorced man (Reagan) garnering the evangelical vote in 1980," said Randall Balmer, professor of religious history at Barnard College and author of God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush.

"Reagan, however, exuded an air of piety -- how sincere or not I still can't figure out -- whereas Trump seems to have a severe piety deficit," Balmer said. "This seems especially debilitating for someone with his sights set on the Republican nomination, where some semblance of faith seems to be a prerequisite. On the other hand, if (Newt) Gingrich can pull it off, I suppose anyone can."

If religion and culture still matter, Prothero believes both Romney and Trump are in trouble. He wouldn't be on either man, even in one of Trump's casinos.

"My money," Prothero said, "is on 'neither of the above.'"

A version of this post originally appearead via Religion News Service.

Cathleen Falsani is an award-winning religion journalist and author of the forthcoming book 'Belieber: Fame, Faith & the Heart of Justin Bieber.'

 

 

 

Follow Cathleen Falsani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/godgrrl

Comments

[Shari Hodges]

02:47 PM on 05/01/2011

You honestly think that Trump pays any attention to the media? You're the ones shouting and screaming for attention.

[reynard61]

07:53 PM on 04/23/2011

The problem is that it's not *strictly* about religion (or how religious you can come off as for the poor saps whose votes you want) any more. Ideology seems to be playing a much larger role in who Evangelicals are voting for these days. Trump is simply doing the "smart"* thing by a) wearing what he sees as an acceptable (to Evangelicals, at least) ideology on his sleeve early in the race; and b) playing up whatever few religious creds he has in the hopes that his possible future "base" won't notice that their "emperor" doesn't actually have a thread of Republican (let alone Christian) cloth to his name.

*For the Evangelical value of "smart", of course...

[schnauzergirl]

03:11 PM on 04/18/2011

"Yet Trump, twice-divorced with a very public history of philandering and questionable ethics, is not just a wealthy man. He is the poster child for conspicuous consumption and delusions of grandeur."

There are several GOP quasi-candidates that could substitute for "Trump" in that description.

[FoxReincarnated]

05:54 PM on 04/17/2011

Like it or not, there is a spiritual litmus test for the presidency and Trump undoubtedly would not pass.

Religion is not spiritual. Neither is the relationship of Jesus.

[johnminehan]

05:44 PM on 04/17/2011

"So he's on the record a Chreaster (those who show up for church only on Christmas and Easter). It's not exactly a resounding testimony to Trump's living faith."

Of course, in his faith weekly attendance is not as required as it is for, say, Catholics.

[johnminehan]

05:41 PM on 04/17/2011

All of which assumes he is running, instead of engaging in an act of self-promotion.

[Dukedraven]

06:08 AM on 04/17/2011

He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hades.

[tunewright]

10:10 PM on 04/16/2011

He does show some religion; I think we can all agree he worships himself.

[CaliTLC]

10:21 PM on 04/16/2011

BINGO.

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

05:53 PM on 04/17/2011

credential enough for most politicians

[ShellyintheWest]

10:03 PM on 04/16/2011

No liberal is going to vote for Trump anyhow, so feeling concerned for him is a wasted emotion. Let the Evangelical base go through the motions of picking a candidate. Remember when Rudy was a shoe in and then didn't make it through the primaries...anything can happen and usually does.

These early bidders are just a distraction. The real strength will come from someone like Allen West. In the meantime pass the popcorn and enjoy the show, but stop with the hyperbole.

[aprilglaspie]

12:14 PM on 04/17/2011

Well, you know Rudy had a major sort of Bernie Kerik problem, and he'd probably be a guest of Club Fed now if he'd run and all of that nonsense had been investigated.

[sjcarl]

08:59 PM on 04/16/2011

He seems to have a need to hit back at everyone who criticizes him. If he became President, that habit wouldn't leave him much time to govern.

[CaliTLC]

09:21 PM on 04/16/2011

Correct. He's got a nasty vindictive streak. Always has to get a personal dig in when responding to a critic. Decidedly NOT presidential material.

[ShellyintheWest]

09:58 PM on 04/16/2011

Don't think for a minute Obama doesn't do the same thing. The worst antagonist for a president yet. It's hard to feel "united" with that man.

[Brigette]

07:34 PM on 04/16/2011

I love how he lists times he goes to church, Christmas, Easter, big events, and... "And on Sundays, I'm a Sunday church person." As opposed to a Wednesday at midnight church person? Why do I think he just barely remembered the day when services are actually held.

[CaliTLC]

09:28 PM on 04/16/2011

NONE of it rang true. Zero.

[vu jade]

06:24 PM on 04/16/2011

If the pretenderfromChicago can be President anyone can!

[sjcarl]

09:00 PM on 04/16/2011

Right. Let's see you do it.

[CaliTLC]

09:26 PM on 04/16/2011

It is PRECISELY that kind of naïveté that has so many thinking they can run this country when they've not run anything successfully in their lives.

[NamithaSF]

05:39 PM on 04/16/2011

Maybe not but I would settle for Trump's moves to at least make Obama sweat and answer the hard questions about his policies that he avoids or the MSM is too gutless to even ask.

[CaliTLC]

09:27 PM on 04/16/2011

Given the opportunity, what question would you like President Obama to answer?

[Maggzz Dee]

05:27 PM on 04/16/2011

We learned from the previous election that you do not win an election by low blow below the belt tactics. This is the 21st century and people are wiser and concerned about bigger issues as - what a candidate can do to help them or make a difference. Trumps rant is not civil but only makes him not to be taken seriously. He has to have more to offer than his claim. Politics and Entertainment dynamically contrast. Anybody can entertain and your audience may not even be amused sometimes. Tone it down Mr. rump, seat back and listen to yourself and have some respect for the highest office of the UNITED STATES. The world stage is watching your spectacle.

[Steelsil]

04:08 PM on 04/16/2011

Trump has given Xians lip service, and that's all they require.  Xians will believe anything, that's why they are Xians.