This is a good example of the media playing right into Trump's hands. Sure it exposes Trump as a liar, but we already knew he was a liar, and nobody was under the impression that he genuinely studies the Bible.Around 1:20 he claims the Bible is his favorite book:
Here's how somebody talks convincingly about the Bible being his favorite book:
Obviously he is FOS and doesn't know one word of the Bible, but his dodge in this particular instance, that "it's personal" is a pretty legitimate excuse for why he won't cite a "favorite verse". Religion is after all, personal, and everyone knows that, not to mention that everyone also has it in the back of their minds that technically there's supposed to be a "separation of church and state", so a politician shouldn't really have to answer religious questions if they don't want to... and its poor etiquette to press people with religious questions... especially since the question is clearly a trap. So the way he dismisses the question was pretty clever. He comes off as either being well prepared to deal with the question, or able to think quickly on his feet very well. Either way Trump comes away from that looking good.
The way it comes off actually turns the tables on the interviewer(s)... because everyone, including Trump supporters, know full well that Trump doesn't know jack squat about the Bible and is just complimenting the Bible to pander to his Christian constituents... Its basically a quick shout-out to evangelicals. The interviewers know it, Trump knows it, and every voter watching that interview knows it. So the interviewer basically poo-poos Trump's shout-out, thereby indirectly crapping on evangelicals for supporting Trump. It's a low-key way of calling evangelicals/Christians dumb for supporting Trump. That doesn't hurt Trump, it helps him.
Again, Trump's lying and everyone knows it, so implying that he's lying doesn't accomplish anything except making the interviewer look smug and petty. To challenge him to cite a verse just comes off as mean-spirited, ivory-tower condescension... sort of like when Katie Couric challenged Sarah Palin to name the newspapers she reads. The average American voter isn't going to be able to spout off a bunch of Bible verses, so Trump not being able to do so actually makes him relatable.
Being able to quote scripture is like being able to speak a different language. People might be impressed that you can do it, but they aren't going to look down on you if you can't... and they generally will take a dim view of a person who tries to show you up, or throw shade at you for not being able to do it.
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