The Trump administration’s efforts to validate their incoherent war on Iran with some sort of Christian moral authority have led to a few, shall we say, interesting moments recently.
After bizarrely berating Pope Leo XIV as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”, Donald Trump posted (and later deleted) a meme of himself as a Christ-like figure healing the sick. The self-styled “secretary of war” Pete Hegseth then confused what he evidently thought was a biblical passage with a bastardised version of a speech from the Quentin Tarantino movie Pulp Fiction.
Perhaps most damagingly of all, the vice-president, JD Vance, took Leo’s carefully considered thoughts on the concept of the “just war” as an opportunity to lecture the pope on theology.
All of this has not landed well with many conservative Christian Trump supporters in the US, who make up a key component of the president’s Maga support base. Coupled with domestic economic worries and disquiet about the war, are there signs of a rupture in Trump’s support? David Smith investigates for our big story this week.
There’s also a clear-eyed examination by Peter Beaumont of the spat between Leo and Vance. And in a week where Vance increasingly appears to have been cast as Trump’s fall guy, commentator Simon Tisdall asks how much more punishment the vice-president and Maga’s great future hope can take before he turns on his master.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | Starmer and the scandal of Mandelson’s vetting
The British prime minister came under huge pressure to resign this week over what he knew about Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the US, even though he had failed Foreign Office security vetting. Pippa Crerar, Jessica Elgot, Paul Lewis and Kiran Stacey spearhead our coverage
Science | The magic of mushrooms
Fungi play a key role in ecosystems and storing carbon, so African scientists are championing the preservation of “funga” as much as flora and fauna, writes Whitney Bauck
Feature | When older relatives lurch to the far right
It starts with a “back in my day” nostalgic meme – then suddenly your elders are sharing AI-generated “boomerslop” and repeating conspiracy theories … Simon Usborne speaks to families dealing with rightwing political rifts
Opinion | Our governments are woefully underprepared for the AI revolution
Every wave of new tech has come with a doomsday scenario. But governments just aren’t planning a human response on the scale required, warns Larry Elliott
Culture | How the female gaze caught the attention of film, TV and fiction
From passionate romantasy novels to premium television dramas, culture is bringing the agency, desires and interior lives of women to the fore. It’s proving good for business, but is this a permanent revolution, asks Deborah Linton
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What else we’ve been reading
• There’s not a day in my family that can’t be cheered up by mention of a Victoria Wood sketch or song. It’s 10 years since her death and evidence of why she was such a unique national treasure – neither mainstream or alternative, but a rare female comedian who gave voice to the funny side of ordinary women’s experiences – is shown in these interviews with friends and collaborators. Isobel Montgomery, deputy editor
• I’ve long been an admirer of the British writer, poet and musician Kae Tempest. This interview by Alex Needham feels like an honest portrait of a multi-talented artist who has lived a life on the edge, while being guided by a strong belief in the power of art to unite people. Graham Snowdon, editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Audio | The surprising value of boring chats – Science Weekly
• Video | Obama and Mamdani sing The Wheels on the Bus with New York preschoolers
• Gallery | From sleeping lions to spitting snakes: a year in the life of London zoo vets
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