Mr Trump took the Watchtower-style icon off his platform after a few hours claiming he thought he looked like a doctor in it. I’m not quite sure how American doctors dress these days or how much glory radiates from their hands but I really can’t fathom why Mr Trump would think his followers stupid enough to find such an explanation plausible.

American spirituality differs from European in its fascination with eschatology, the study of what the New Testament writers thought about the future. They analyse the text in an attempt to discover the programme of events to expect in the run up to Christ’s return. The idea of an antichrist, a figure who stands in Christ’s place and tries to deceive the elect of God into believing he is the returning Messiah is mentioned only once or twice by name and is sometimes portrayed as a single person and at others as a more conceptual idea or an attitude held by those who oppose true Christian discipleship. More often the reference is to a “man of lawlessness”, a beast, or a blasphemous ruler who will seek to deceive and coerce people at the same time. I can see how the current president might fit the description, though I doubt he’s the specific figure mentioned in Scripture.

Then again, is the Biblical reference to a particular person or to a type of ruler? Many of the Roman emperors portrayed themselves as gods and demanded worship and it is quite possible the New Testament writers had them in mind. That said, the despotic caesars and Mr Trump do seem to share the same inflated self-confidence and belief they are omni-capable, with no limit to their authority and driven by whims. I can see a resemblance there.

Some say the caesars were mad. Possibly they were, and the question of the President’s sanity must be rising in the minds of many in the American establishment now. To portray himself in such a blasphemous transfiguration must surely reveal his true self-understanding, as Christ’s revealed his true nature to his closest apostles. It can only alienate the Evangelicals of the Bible Belt and turn them against him. How long could he hold on after that? Surely, his position will become untenable if he tries. If he thinks he can portray himself as God and retain mass support he must be mad indeed.