Following the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, his followers, including the Republican Party in Arizona’s largest county, are claiming his wound is a sign that God made Trump holy. This interpretation of scripture has drawn criticism from some Christian pastors and theological experts.
“In the Bible, the concept of blood on the right ear…serves as a visible mark of consecration, signifying that the person is dedicated to God’s service and has been set apart for a specific purpose,” stated a video posted by the Maricopa County Republican Committee on X, formerly Twitter. The video quotes Old Testament scripture, specifically from Leviticus, claiming that blood on Trump’s right ear “signifies that the person is being set apart for a sacred right or role.” Leviticus focuses on ritual and holiness issues for the ancient Israelites, including regulations of animal sacrifices, the duties of priests, and laws dictating sexual, economic, and dietary practices.
Derek Allen, a pastor at First Baptist Church Tilman’s Corner in Mobile, Alabama, expressed concerns over this interpretation. He explained that the passages referenced relate to a purification ritual undertaken by priests to cleanse lepers. “This is an example of gross mishandling of Scripture,” Allen said in a social media post. “When one small part of something kind of fits something that supports something we want, we run with bad interpretations and applications of Scripture.”
Allen emphasized the importance of accurate interpretation, saying, “Those of us who believe the Bible is the infallible and inerrant Word of God often criticize liberal interpretations of Scripture that take the same approach. We have to guard ourselves from letting our emotions take us to such places.”
Karen Seat, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Arizona, said that this interpretation by Trump fans does not surprise her. “American Evangelicals have a long history of mapping religious and biblical ideas onto political events,” Seat told the Arizona Mirror, adding that Trump is seen as a “consecrated lamb for the cause” of many conservative evangelicals. Seat noted that many Evangelicals, like Allen, would find the interpretation of Leviticus being pushed by Trump allies to be theologically incorrect.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee did not respond to requests for comment or questions about the video’s origins and claims. The video seems to follow a script similar to other posts widely shared across social media.
“This has been part of the rhetoric for this entire campaign and it has gotten stronger and stronger over the past eight years,” Seat said, discussing how some evangelicals view Trump as a biblical figure. This belief extends beyond the MCRC, as seen in the actions of Republican National Convention delegate Joe Negalia and former state lawmaker Liz Harris, who wore bandages on their right ears during the convention. Some religion researchers compared this to the counter-reformation.
The MCRC is led by Craig Berland and Shelby Busch, both of whom have promoted election fraud narratives. Busch recently made headlines for stating she would “lynch” Republican Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer if he walked into the room.
“This is nothing new,” Seat remarked about the scripture interpretation by Trump supporters. “I think many people understand this to be the case that this assassination attempt fueled the conservative evangelical perspective that Trump is especially chosen by God to lead their political movement — and God protected Trump and there was a divine element to his survival that day.”