Washington D.C., UNITED STATES — President Donald Trump is set to participate in a public Bible reading via video message from the Oval Office on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, as his administration continues to integrate Christian practices into official government business.
The event, titled “America Reads The Bible,” will feature the President reading 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 during the 6:00 p.m. EST hour.
Okay News reports that the selected passage includes verse 14, a scripture frequently cited by Evangelical Christians to call for national healing and divine intervention.
The scheduled reading follows a week of significant religious controversy for the Trump administration, including a public feud with Pope Leo XIV over the Middle East conflict. Trump recently told reporters he was “not a fan” of the Pontiff, criticizing the Pope’s stance on nuclear weapons and regional peace appeals. In response, Pope Leo XIV, currently on an apostolic journey in Africa, stated he has “no fear” of the U.S. administration.
The President also faced backlash this week for a deleted AI-generated image that appeared to depict him as a Jesus-like figure. Trump defended the post to reporters outside the West Wing, claiming he intended the image to represent him “as a doctor making people better.”
Several high-ranking officials are expected to join the President in the weeklong religious event, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. The move comes amid a broader shift in the White House, which has recently implemented weekly prayer hours and the use of scripture on official government social media accounts.
Critics and scholars have noted that while previous U.S. leaders integrated personal faith into their goals, the current administration’s approach appears to prescribe specific religious doctrines as normative for the entire nation.
