Donald Trump’s Next Act: A Megachurch?

+ The Ballot Measures You Should Know About

Perhaps Donald Trump needs a place where he can go weekly or even more often to deliver his message of division and doom, where thousands hang on his every word. A place with a Megatron that amplifies his voice and allows him to hawk trucker hats, sneakers, trading cards, and bits of his suit at a moment’s notice. A place where it is OK to ask for money to fund one’s lavish lifestyle and personal entanglements, like lawsuits, and people happily fork it over. 

Trump doesn’t need an Oval Office; he needs a megachurch. A church would provide him with direct cash, feed his insatiable need for attention, and give his supporters what they want–more Trump. Every service would be one big Trump Rally. 

We should give it to him. Don’t click away; hear me out. 

The Biggest Grift(er) Ever

Since Trump announced his third and hopefully final bid for the White House, many have speculated that he’s running to stay out of prison, citing numerous lawsuits, pending litigation, and convictions. They say if he's elected, Trump will toss the federal investigations and make it impossible for states like New York and Georgia to move forward with their cases. 

 It’s a shrewd strategy until you consider that no one, including Trump, believes he will actually go to prison or serve time even as he has already been convicted of a crime with a likelihood of more guilty verdicts soon. No one is above the law, but there’s no precedent or national appetite for jailing a former President, no matter the scoundrel, and Trump and his allies know this. 

Among U.S. adults, 48 percent say Trump should serve time behind bars, and 50% say he should not. About 8 in 10 Democrats think Trump should face prison time, while independents are divided. About half, 49 percent, of independents say he should, and 46 percent say he should not.

For Trump, it has never been about staying out of prison. Running for re-election and potentially occupying the land's highest office has always been about the fleecing of the flock and the authoritative platform the office provides. 

In 2024, Trump raised more than $1.1 billion for his re-election campaign, much of it going to high-priced consultants and to cover his legal fees. During the four years he served as President, his affiliated businesses raked in $2.4 Billion and received at least $7.8 million in foreign payments from 20 countries. Cha-ching!

With no casinos to open, sports teams to own, pretend charities to operate, or worthless degrees to bestow, Trump desperately needs the money. If re-elected, he’d be back on the gravy train.

A Peacock and his Flock

 Trump is not Billy Graham, but he does command a loyal flock.  

Donald Trump has never been a good listener. Instead, he prefers to talk (mostly about himself), make foreboding and dark predictions, and promise retribution against his and his followers' collective enemies. Like a preacher in a pulpit, Trump demands rapt attention from MAGA supporters, requiring them to believe his tales of fire and brimstone and that he alone will save and protect them. For the most part, they do. 

 As feminist scholar Brittney Cooper says, Trump supporters are not voting [for him] because they believe he can make their quality of life better. They are voting because they want Trump to do bad things to other groups of people. They want Trump to be an enemy of the people they consider their enemies. They want Trump to hurt women. They want Trump to hurt Black people. They want Trump to hurt immigrants. They want Trump to hurt people of color. On the other hand, Harris voters are voting to protect and extend rights to these same groups. 

What happens if Trump loses (again)?

If Trump loses, he and his followers will need somewhere to congregate—a place to lick their wounds, spout conspiracy theories, and playback some of Trump’s greatest hits. A lovely, big building in the middle-of-nowhere Florida where Trump can ramble and do the robocop in front of scores of adoring MAGA-ites sounds perfect to me. There, he can fleece in peace.

We also need them and him out of our hair so that we can begin rebuilding our democracy.  

The Work Right Now & Ahead for the Rest of Us

 The Work Right Now

If you haven’t voted, do so and encourage loved ones and friends to do the same. This is a consequential election, and we cannot afford to lose it. 

Next, check your ballot for important initiatives and propositions that will protect and expand reproductive rights and ensure equal rights for women. This election cycle, voters will decide on nearly 150 ballot measures. 

 Abortion Access on the Ballot

Constitutional amendments to expand or protect abortion access will be on the ballot in 10 states, including the presidential battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada and the Senate battlegrounds of Montana and Florida. Other states include New York, South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Colorado, and Maryland.

Proposal 1: The Equal Rights Amendment on the New York State Ballot

In New York, voters will decide whether to enshrine equal rights for women, ban discrimination, and establish a right to abortion and other reproductive health care in the state constitution. The legislature passed the measure twice, and it is now before voters for final approval. This is a huge deal. 

Voting Rights & Democracy

 According to the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, 39 measures related to democracy, elections, and voting procedures will be on the November ballot. Some measures seek to create or further tighten voting restrictions, while others seek to broaden access. 

 The Work Ahead of Us

Regardless of the Presidential election’s outcome, there is much work ahead of us. We need universal childcare, paid sick leave, expanded reproductive rights and freedom,  electoral reform, and so much more. Let’s get to it!