Thousands of copies of Donald Trump’s “God Bless the USA” Bible were printed in China, a country that the former president has repeatedly accused of stealing American jobs and engaging in unfair trade practices.
Global trade records reviewed by The Associated Press show a printing company in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the United States between early February and late March.
According to databases that track exports and imports using customs data, the estimated worth of the three distinct shipments was $342,000. This is less than $3 per Bible. The minimum price for the Trump-backed Bible is $59.99, with a possible sales revenue of around $7 million.
The Trump Bible’s connection to China, which had not previously been disclosed, illustrates a stark contrast between the former president’s harsh anti-China rhetoric and his rush to cash in while campaigning.
The Trump campaign did not respond to emails or phone calls requesting comment on the God Bless the USA Bible.
Trump says his Bibles would help America
The largest and most recent load of 70,000 copies of Trump’s Bible arrived by container vessel at the Port of Los Angeles on March 28, two days after Trump announced in a video posted on his Truth Social platform that he’d partnered with country singer Lee Greenwood to hawk the Bibles.
In the video, Trump blended religion with his campaign message as he urged viewers to buy the Bible, inspired by Greenwood’s ballad, “God Bless the USA.” The Bible includes copies of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Pledge of Allegiance.
“This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring back in America, and to make America great again, is our religion,” Trump said. Judeo-Christian values, he added, are “under attack, perhaps as never before.”
Trump didn’t say where the “God Bless the USA” Bibles are printed, or what they cost; a copy hand-signed by the former president sells for $1,000. Trump also didn’t disclose how much he earns per sale.
A version of the $59.99 ‘God Bless the USA’ Bible memorializes the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Pennsylvania. Trump’s name is on the cover above the phrase, “The Day God Intervened.” The wording appears to have been stamped on after the Bible was produced. Trump said Saturday his would-be assassin did not succeed “by the hand of providence and the grace of God.”
The Bibles are sold exclusively through a website that states it is not affiliated with any political campaign nor is it owned or controlled by Trump.
A photo posted on the website shows Trump sitting at his desk in the Oval Office with Greenwood standing beside him. In another photo, the former president smiles broadly while holding a copy of the Bible.
