On a day traditionally set aside for faith, family, and quiet reflection, President Donald Trump once again used a national holiday as a platform to wage political war. His Easter Sunday message, posted early in the morning on his social media platform Truth Social, was not one of unity or grace, but a sweeping and vitriolic attack aimed at his political opponents, the judicial system, and even a man his own administration deported in violation of a federal court order.
"Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics," Trump began. The message spiraled from there, targeting nearly every pillar of American democratic structure. He tore into judges, law enforcement, President Joe Biden, and the legal battle surrounding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident whom the Trump administration deported to El Salvador despite a standing court order to the contrary.
"Weak and ineffective Judges and Law Enforcement Officials" were blamed for what Trump described as "an attack so violent that it will never be forgotten," referring to the legal mandate that his administration facilitate Garcia's return to the United States.
While the courts have ruled repeatedly that Garcia’s deportation was unlawful, and that his return must be expedited, Trump described the legal process as an injustice committed against him, not the man whose rights were violated.
This inversion of victim and offender is a well-worn strategy for Trump, particularly in his holiday missives. What once might have been holiday greetings from the president have become rhetorical battlegrounds.
For those familiar with his social media patterns, this Easter outburst was not surprising—but it was uniquely aggressive in its timing, tone, and targets.
Trump called President Biden "the single most calamitous act ever perpetrated upon America," and claimed, without evidence, that Biden had intentionally opened the borders to "Millions of CRIMINALS... totally unvetted and unchecked."
He then circled back to one of his most consistently debunked falsehoods—that he, not Biden, won the 2020 presidential election.
"Biden was, by far, our WORST and most Incompetent President, a man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing," Trump wrote. "But to him, and to the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen (perhaps our REAL President!), and to all of the people who CHEATED in the 2020 Presidential Election... I wish you, with great love, sincerity, and affection, a very Happy Easter!!!"
The sarcasm, capitalization, and jarring contrast between hostility and faux-politeness has become a signature element of Trump’s holiday messaging. Over the years, he has repeatedly used major national holidays to attack perceived enemies.
On Memorial Day, he once offered greetings to “all haters and losers,” and on New Year’s Day in 2019, proclaimed that it would be “a fantastic year for those not suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
This year’s Easter message, however, went further than most. It not only attacked his successor and the legal system, but reignited the firestorm surrounding the administration’s defiance of the Supreme Court in the case of Garcia.
Rather than defend the actions of his administration through legal reasoning, Trump framed the situation as a personal attack. In his telling, the court's insistence on upholding the Constitution by enforcing due process rights amounted to an assault against his presidency.
Critics argue that this tendency—to personalize institutional accountability as persecution—reflects a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior. Trump’s rhetoric repeatedly suggests that loyalty to him personally should override loyalty to law or principle.
His Easter message even seemed to question who truly holds power in the White House, suggesting that Biden is not in control, and that someone else, whom he described only as "the person that ran and manipulated the Auto Pen," might be the actual decision-maker.
This vague and conspiratorial reference mirrored his frequent attacks on what he calls the "deep state," implying that unelected bureaucrats or shadowy figures are the ones truly governing. For Trump’s base, such comments stoke a sense of victimhood and mistrust that has proven politically effective.
Yet the cost of this strategy is growing. Legal experts warn that repeated attacks on the courts, especially when framed as partisan or illegitimate, erode public confidence in the judiciary.
When the president of the United States describes a Supreme Court decision as a “violent attack,” it sends a dangerous message—that judicial authority is only valid when it serves the interests of those in power.
Even among those who support stronger border policies or conservative judicial appointments, some have begun to question whether Trump’s language is undermining the institutions he claims to protect.
"He’s not calling for reform or accountability," one former federal judge commented anonymously. "He’s calling for loyalty to himself, not the Constitution. That’s not how democracy works."
The timing of the message was also notable. Trump claimed he would attend an Easter service at the White House, although there were no public reports confirming whether the service took place or whether he actually attended. In past years, he has spent the holiday at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
On Saturday, he hinted at being in Washington, writing that he was "looking forward to having Easter service early tomorrow morning at the White House." By Sunday afternoon, no photos or official statements had been released to confirm this plan.
Regardless of where he spent the day physically, Trump was firmly present in the public discourse. His message dominated headlines and drew immediate responses from both sides of the political aisle. S
upporters praised him for "speaking the truth." Detractors accused him of once again politicizing sacred moments and spreading dangerous falsehoods.
As Trump continues to blend spiritual references with political ambition, his version of Easter has little to do with resurrection or redemption in the traditional religious sense. It is instead an extension of his own political theater—a stage upon which enemies are cursed, allies praised, and the Constitution is a suggestion rather than a rule.
With the 2026 midterms approaching and Trump maintaining a strong grip on his party, there is little indication that this strategy will change. If anything, his use of holidays as rhetorical weapons is likely to intensify as election season heats up.
For millions of Americans, Easter Sunday remained a personal and sacred observance. For Donald Trump, it was a battlefield.
And like so many of his battles, it was one waged not with hope, but with grievance.
