Member-only story
The Accidental Messiah
“I am the chosen one”, Trump said.
And they believed it. Because they do see him as the second coming of God.
They are not an organized cult. But one thing that unites them is the apocalyptical framework they use to justify their immoral or unconstitutional actions through religious doctrine in order to achieve their ultimate goal, which is to restore their dominance. Because they share the vision of an apocalyptic figure eventually taking control of their world, someone who evokes the legend of the last world emperor.
The apocalyptic sermon, which is the basis of the cult’s beliefs and existence, provides a somewhat of a loose model for the religious, to cast secular political leaders as apocalyptic heroes, regardless of their personal failings.
This quality likely contributes to the story’s long afterlife and repeat value.
The apocalyptic evangelicals see Trump as their hero right now.
Trump’s St. John’s Church photo-op on Monday, June 1, 2020 that involved using military force on peaceful protesters is no way bizarre. How smart he is to actually take cues from history or whether he has actually read The Bible or not, none of that really matters. Because he knew exactly what he was…
