MAGA Messiah: Political strategy or divine intervention?
Donald Trump posing with bible in front of St John’s Church, 2020 // Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
In the eyes of his followers, Donald Trump has been upgraded from maligned underdog to martyr. And all he had to do was duck.
MAGA devotees have resembled a cult from the outset, bound to Trump by a conviction in his ability to lead the promised land, the United States of America, towards its former status of illusory greatness. Indeed, they have done much of the heavy lifting in redeeming their leader’s tarnished reputation. They reconcile opposing realities by claiming they demonstrate Trump’s persecuted position; his criminal record and proclamations to be a figure of virtuosity form two sides of the same coin. Previous membership of the Democratic party or identification as ‘extremely pro choice’ is wilfully forgotten or construed as remnants of his former unenlightened self. Trump has thus been able to fluctuate across the political spectrum without facing accusations of fickleness or deceit despite his many political blunders; after all, even a man revered as God has human flaws.
Naturally, the two recent attempts on Trump’s life have only strengthened his image as a transcendental figure. Indeed they have transformed him into a martyr. One attendant at his New York rally last week thanked the ‘amazing grace’ of God in protecting Trump. The perils of evil so often touted by Trump assumed physical form in the gunmen aiming at him. The optics were perfect: appearing at the Republican National Convention with a heavily bandaged ear, it was impossible to forget that Trump had just escaped death. Following the second attempt on his life, he announced that ‘God has now spared my life, conflating his survival with divine intervention.
Although Trump’s political brand has always had religious undertones, if not heavy overtones, these two failed assassination attempts have fundamentally altered his followers' perception of him. Trump has consistently spoken of patriotism through biblical rhetoric, posing as a messiah when presenting ‘America First’ as a mission to save God’s chosen people. However, he no longer relies on religious analogy alone to prove his unique position. His Christ-like status was made self-evident by his brief encounter with death. Just as his fans have legitimised his persecuted persona, his two assassins have tied his fate to God’s work.
Of course, Trump’s followers are not solely responsible for assigning a messianic status. Trump himself launches statements such as ‘They’re after you. I’m just standing in the way’ into audiences knowing full well how they will be interpreted. Yet, these assassination attempts have initiated a shift in how Trump’s political messaging is digested. As the victim of perceived evil, he can now present his brand in Manichean terms. The alleged Haitian immigrants eating their pets constitute a darkness, which Trump opposes with lightness and hope. His martyrdom has granted him the power to determine who is good and bad, branding minorities and non-conformists as evil. This veneer of divine intervention could perpetually justify his populist agenda.
Perhaps foiled assassinations have done him a favour.