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By Jesus Mesa
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President Donald Trump sparked swift backlash Sunday for posting a profanity-laced warning to Iran on Easter morning, with religious leaders and Democratic lawmakers condemning the message as disrespectful to Christianity's holiest day.
In the Truth Social post, Trump threatened to strike Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ending with "Praise be to Allah" in what critics said was a mocking reference to Islam.
"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****n' Strait, you crazy b******s, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" the president wrote at 8:03 a.m. on Sunday.
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The Interfaith Alliance, a coalition of religious leaders and advocates, condemned the message directly. "Trump's profane and violent rant on Christianity's holiest day while insulting Muslims around the world shows this administration's utter disdain for religion," the group said Sunday. "We condemn it while wishing all who celebrate Easter a joyful holiday."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Trump's language in a separate statement. The organization said his "mocking of Islam and his threats to attack civilian infrastructure" were reckless and dangerous. CAIR said the casual use of "Praise be to Allah" in the context of violent threats reflected contempt for Muslims and their beliefs.
Calls to Invoke the 25th Amendment
Democratic lawmakers were equally blunt. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X: "Happy Easter, America. As you head off to church and celebrate with friends and family, the President of the United States is ranting like an unhinged madman on social media."
Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said the post crossed a constitutional line. "If I were in Trump's Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment. This is completely, utterly unhinged," Murphy posted on X. "He's already killed thousands. He's going to kill thousands more."
Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico called for immediate action, urging the invocation of the 25th Amendment, which allows the vice president and a majority of Cabinet members to remove a sitting president deemed unfit for office.
"The emperor has no clothes. Time for the #25thAmendment. Congress and the Cabinet must act," Stansbury wrote.
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But the criticism extended beyond Democrats and religious leaders. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a conservative firebrand and former Trump ally, posted a lengthy statement saying the president "has gone insane, and all of you are complicit."
"I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit," Greene wrote, urging the administration to "intervene in Trump's madness."
Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's former White House Communications director, wrote on X, "It was at this point that our Founders thought the best thing to do would be to remove a mad man who has the executive office. It became more formalized with the 25th amendment, but more people now should be calling for this man's removal."
Not all voices condemned the post. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer praised Trump's message on social media. "This is what I voted for. Bomb jihadis back to the Stone Age where their mentality permanently lives," Loomer wrote on X.
Katie Miller, wife of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller and a podcast host with a large online following, also defended the post. "When you want to ask @grok if it's real, but you know it is," she wrote alongside an American flag emoji.
'An Easter Miracle'
Trump's Easter message came hours after the administration announced a major military success: the rescue of a U.S. Air Force colonel whose F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran on Friday. The operation, which involved elite forces including Delta Force and Navy SEAL Team Six, succeeded without casualties among American troops, the Pentagon said.
"WE GOT HIM!" Trump announced Saturday evening, describing the rescue as "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History." He said the rescued officer was "seriously wounded" but recovering.
The operation involved hundreds of military and intelligence personnel, including a CIA deception campaign designed to confuse Iranian forces about whether the airman had already been recovered. The U.S. military also deliberately destroyed two damaged MC-130 special operations transport aircraft to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands.
Senior U.S. military officials described the mission as "one of the most challenging and complex in the history of U.S. special operations," citing the mountainous terrain, the airman's injuries, and the frantic race against Iranian forces to locate him.
In an appearance on CNN, Admiral James Stavridis said it was the result of American intelligence agencies "firing on all cylinders."
"We've talked a lot on air, and we should, about how complicated and difficult and challenging it is to bring all these diverse elements together, but we train for all that. I am really taken with two things here, number one, the CIA role has been quite extraordinary," Stavridis said, adding on the rescue, "It's an amazing piece of work."
Michael O'Hanlon, a Brookings Institution defense analyst, also praised the operation, calling it "up there with the most difficult we’ve done historically.
"Given its interior location deep inside Iranian territory, and the absence of any US bases within Iranian territory, it looks daunting and therefore impressive," he told Newsweek.
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Trump called the rescue "an Easter miracle" in a statement to NBC News, praising U.S. forces for their "strong, decisive" actions. "The Iranians thought they had him, but it wasn't even close," Trump said.
Some administration officials used religious language to frame the war effort. Treasury Secretary Andrew Bessent said the rescue was timely.
"The Easter miracle is considered the greatest victory in history. And so, it is fitting on this holiest of Christian days that a brave American warrior was rescued from behind enemy lines in one of the greatest search and rescue missions in military history," Bessent wrote on X.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also invoked faith in his response, posting "God is good" on social media while sharing details of the rescue.
The juxtaposition of Trump's religious framing of the military operation and his profane Easter post created further tension. A group of 30 Democratic lawmakers asked the Defense Department inspector general in March to investigate reports that some within the U.S. military had sought to justify the Iran war by invoking "biblical end-time prophecies."
"We must ensure that military operations are guided by facts and the law, not end-times prophecy and extreme religious beliefs," the lawmakers wrote.
Trump's Easter post also included a new deadline for Iran. "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" he wrote in a follow-up post, referring to his threat to strike Iranian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. An administration official told The Wall Street Journal the weekend events have energized the president and made him eager to apply even more pressure on the Iranians as he seeks a deal.
Iran, however, rejected the latest ceasefire proposal and called for a permanent end to the war, the state-run IRNA news agency said Monday.
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