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Donald Trump’s historic Reformation Day message puts Jesus Christ, Scripture and America’s Christian heritage centre stage, prompting praise from Christians and criticism from secular commentators.

Donald Trump is the first sitting United States president to honour Reformation Day.

Apparently, the closest any president came to acknowledging the 31 October anniversary of Martin Luther challenging a corrupt 16th-century Catholic Church was Herbert Hoover in 1930.

It’s a front-page story with a historical punch to match. Yet, a neurotic, Trump-hating legacy media over-analysing his “I came as myself” Halloween costume couldn’t be bothered to report on it.

While the Left was obsessed with reading hidden meanings into a time-poor President turning up as himself, conservatives and Christians took note.

Trump Puts Christ at the Centre of Reformation Day

Trump’s Reformation Day message was Christ-centred and on brand.

He wrote:

“From the earliest days of our Republic, prayer and faith in Almighty God have stood as the foundation of our strength, the source of our unity, and the fount of our greatness.  This Reformation Day, I send my best wishes to the countless Christians across our country commemorating the Protestant Reformation and its enduring message of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Five hundred years ago, William Tyndale—inspired by the work of Martin Luther—advanced the Protestant Reformation’s devotion to Holy Scripture through the publication of the first New Testament printed in English, shaping the language of the Bibles that would fortify the faith and resolve of America’s founding generation.  The Sacred Scriptures helped form the religious convictions that formed our young Nation’s founding ideals of God-given rights and individual liberty, a spiritual inheritance we honor as we continue to reflect on 250 glorious years of American Independence.  The Bible remains a cornerstone of our Nation’s character and upholds our steadfast devotion to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

“Guided by an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ, my Administration is working to restore the moral and religious foundations that have sustained our Republic for generations.  As President, I will always support citizens of faith and defend their place in the public square, honoring the enduring role of our churches in strengthening families, serving communities, and preserving the core values that have anchored us across the centuries.

“As Christians across our country unite in faith and fellowship this Reformation Day, I send my heartfelt prayers for a meaningful celebration and encourage each of you to draw renewed strength from God’s Word as we carry forward the blessings of faith and freedom throughout our beloved Nation.”

Christian Commentators Welcome a Presidential First

Billy Graham’s Decision Magazine kept its response brief. They republished Trump’s statement in full and prefaced it with a simple historical take.

The Daily Wire made a similar effort, while Not the Bee simply declared, “It sure beats Biden’s ‘Trans Day of Remembrance’!”

Australia’s Caldron Pool editor Ben Davis recognised the significance of the President’s Reformation Day acknowledgement. Noting continuity, Davis wrote, “The statement follows several recent public affirmations of America’s Christian heritage by the Trump administration.

“Earlier in the week, the United States Department of State celebrated America’s Christian heritage in a social media video marking International Religious Freedom Day on October 27.”

He told The Daily Declaration, “At a time when Western leaders are abandoning Scriptural limits on power for government answerable only to itself, Trump’s Reformation Day remarks are a welcome and refreshing change.

“Acknowledging Christ as the supreme authority made America and the West places where freedom, prosperity and goodness could flourish. As Western leaders abandon that truth, they recognise no moral bounds beyond those they set themselves. And we’re feeling the consequences of that today.

“Trump obviously doesn’t get everything right, but this example deserves to be followed worldwide.”

Critics Cry Christian Nationalism Over Presidential Statement

Other than a fading splash of criticism on social media, the biggest “whoa!” so far came from The National Review.

Author of The End of Illusions, Joseph Loconte, wrote that the message was a worthy attempt muddled by “Christian Nationalist” doublespeak.

If Trump’s assertions are true and the administration is “guided by an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ”, Loconte ruled that it is both a violation of Article VI of the Constitution and must have Team Trump’s Jewish members scratching their heads.

Loconte argued against what he considered Trump’s Christian Nationalist tone, stating, “Team Trump would be well advised to read Luther’s ‘On Secular Government,’ in which the reformer assaulted the Catholic notion of a singular Christian commonwealth.”

He slammed the message, accusing Trump of muddling the distinction between Church and State, which Loconte argued was as much Lutheran as it was 1776 American.

Continuing his protest, Loconte concluded, “If history is any guide, a national government that claims to be led by ‘an unwavering faith in Jesus Christ’ is as likely to trample the rights of its citizens as a government committed to militant atheism.”

He did not provide evidence to back the claim that Trump’s Reformation Message was built on a violation of Article VI, which states, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

Will Christians Shape the Nation or Retreat From Public Life?

Unrelated, yet still worth mentioning, Trump’s relationship with the Vatican is far from rosy.

The US President criticised Pope Leo XIV, saying he didn’t think the Pope was doing a good job. According to a report from The Guardian, this included a statement accusing the Pope of catering to the radical left.

ABC News in the United States published what some thought about the nature of that relationship, saying that it was bad enough to push Catholics to vote for Democrats in the Midterm elections this month.

They labelled Trump’s attitude as unapologetic and belligerent and quoted “political observers” stating that while the Catholic Church teaches forgiveness, American Catholics may not extend mercy to President Donald Trump over his “attacks” on (more correctly criticisms of) Pope Leo XIV.

While not a response to critics of the President’s Protestant message, Josh Howerton’s 3 November X post could easily have been.

The Lakepointe Pastor and popular commentator wrote, “Muslims have a plan to make America a Muslim nation. Marxists have a plan to make America a Marxist nation. Secular Progressives have a plan to make America a Secular Progressive nation.”

“But Christians seem to always have a plan to keep Christianity from further influencing our nation by discipling people into either: 1) Political apathy (“God is sovereign, back off”, “we don’t get political, just do evangelism”) 2) Political ambiguity (“Jesus isn’t a Republican or Democrat, neither Right nor Left” = primary application of Gospel to culture).

“If continued, this will have very predictable (and disastrous) results in coming years, and a few conversations with pastors in deep blue cities/states trying to build churches, pastor people, and raise Christian families will help you realise it.”