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Hours after quoting praise that called him "the king of Israel" and likened him to the "second coming of God," President Donald Trump sanctified himself in front of reporters on the White House Lawn before departing to speak to AmVets National Convention attendees in Louisville, Kentucky.
Trump was discussing the deficit-swelling trade war he began with China, insisting that it should have been instigated by the three presidents before him. He then asserted that he was "the one to do it," before looking to the sky and saying
"I am the chosen one."
Watch below.
President Trump: “I am the chosen one” to take on China with trade https://t.co/TpIRS9Rqt8— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1566408074.0
The president's allies have dismissed the proclamation, assuring that the president was only joking. However, others believe that the statement should be concerning in the context of Trump's and his supporters' history of messianic rhetoric glorifying the president.
Put Trump’s “I am the chosen one” in the larger context with the messianic language in his tweets earlier today. H… https://t.co/172jfK2Cua— Leah McElrath 🏳️🌈 (@Leah McElrath 🏳️🌈) 1566404571.0
Today: Trump claims he is "the king of Israel," and just told media, "I am the chosen one." He believes he is a d… https://t.co/mtqxiMcLJV— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈) 1566404603.0
He also calls himself "the chosen one" here. The Chosen One. By the way I have had evangelical Trump supporters tel… https://t.co/v8daH14JCA— Joy Reid (@Joy Reid) 1566410965.0
Political analyst Jared Yates Sexton elaborated on the harm an escalation of this rhetoric could bring.
Donald Trump just said, “I am the chosen one.” Make no mistake. His push to forward the narrative that he’s a mess… https://t.co/SG76ZemM2V— Jared Yates Sexton (@Jared Yates Sexton) 1566403779.0
Listen. This could lead to deaths. We’ve already seen followers of Trump kill believing they’re part of a war. If h… https://t.co/U9DfRIYak6— Jared Yates Sexton (@Jared Yates Sexton) 1566403888.0
It may sound too extreme to be true, but evangelical Trump supporters are already defending the president by decrying Democrats as agents of Lucifer.
4 witches from hell whose goals is to destroy America and everything that is good for this country. They are daugh… https://t.co/s93cteuDa7— ML (@ML) 1564017944.0
Real Americans love you President Trump and always will. Thank you sir for taking the arrows but we have a few for… https://t.co/mL8ICzxxKz— Nancy cox (@Nancy cox) 1564004897.0
@ChrisJZullo @realDonaldTrump Demon rats are a satanic hate group, lovers of themselves False accusers full of en… https://t.co/z9zd6QhfQG— The Surfer (@The Surfer) 1541457481.0
Though his supporters insist he was joking with his "chosen one" comment, the level of religious adoration for Trump is still alarming.
Michele Bachmann has never seen "a more biblical president" than Trump: "We will, in all likelihood, never see a mo… https://t.co/jryJ65WK2O— Right Wing Watch (@Right Wing Watch) 1555340984.0
it's a cult https://t.co/YeqErFYH53— Oliver Willis (@Oliver Willis) 1561565884.0
For Where There Is The HOLY - THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD JESUS - CHRIST etc ... There Is Freedom. ((2) Corinthians 3:… https://t.co/CVoEZJ2300— Bambara Silamane (@Bambara Silamane) 1566388301.0
White Evangelicals remain one of Trump's most supportive demographics.
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