Summary: The God Bless the U.S.A. Bible (sometimes called the Greenwood Bible or the “Trump Bible” after later marketing) is a commercially produced edition of the King James Bible packaged with patriotic material (Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and Bill of Rights as printed in the back matter, the Pledge of Allegiance, and other items). Since its wider marketing in 2024 it has drawn scrutiny for its manufacturing, profits to prominent figures who endorse it, its quality, and — most controversially — the fact that the copy of the U.S. Constitution included in the back omits Amendments 11 through 27. That omission removes or obscures many vital constitutional protections (including the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments). Below is a detailed, sourced account of the product, who benefits financially, how it was produced and distributed, and why the back-matter omissions are a serious historical and civic problem.
What is the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible?
Originally produced by country singer Lee Greenwood in 2021 as a patriotic edition of the Bible, the product combines the text of the King James Version with American civic texts and patriotic ephemera (the chorus of Greenwood’s song in his handwriting is among the included items). Later editions were marketed under a brand that uses Donald Trump’s name, likeness, and a paid license, and sold via a dedicated website in multiple editions (standard, premium, themed editions and an expensive “signed” edition). Wikipedia+1
Who is profiting from the book?
Multiple parties benefit financially:
- Donald Trump / CIC Ventures LLC: Trump licensed his name/likeness for a marketed edition; reporting and public disclosure documents show royalties and payments tied to the endorsement. Initial reports recorded roughly $300,000 in royalties; later public filings and reporting have listed higher totals (reporting of approximately $1.3 million in royalties appears in later disclosures). Business Insider+1
- Lee Greenwood: As the originator of the edition and the artist whose song anchors the branding, Greenwood is an affiliated endorser and beneficiary of sales. Wikipedia
- Publisher/marketer and importers: Reports identify a Nashville-based marketing/publishing firm (LMA Productions is associated in coverage) and import/shipping intermediaries (Freedom Park Design is named in reporting) that handle distribution and logistics; these companies capture a share of sales revenue. The printing itself was done in China. AP News+1
Production vs. retail price: Multiple news stories reviewed shipping and customs data showing large print runs from a Chinese printer in Hangzhou. One Associated Press accounting of shipments valued at about $342,000 for roughly 120,000 Bibles implies a manufacturing/import unit cost of roughly $2.85 per copy (342,000 ÷ 120,000 = 2.85), while the retail price is commonly listed at $59.99 (with a $1,000 signed edition also offered), producing very large markups per unit. AP News+1
Quality and critical reaction
Multiple reviewers — including clergy, Bible reviewers, and journalists — criticized the physical quality (thin or sticky pages, tight letter spacing, fragile bindings) and called the product overpriced for its material quality. Many critics also condemned the mixing of partisan branding with a religious text and questioned the ethics of packaging civic documents with scripture for profit. Wikipedia+1
The back matter: the Constitution included — but incomplete
One of the product’s selling features is the inclusion of U.S. founding documents in the back matter. Reporters, reviewers, and educators who examined copies found that the edition jumps from the original Constitution and the Bill of Rights to the Pledge of Allegiance and other items — in other words, it omits Amendments 11 through 27. Several outlets, video reviewers, and local school staff who inspected classroom copies confirmed that the post-Bill of Rights amendments are not present in that back matter. Wikipedia+2Above the Law+2
Some local reporting also noted the troubling presence of archaic text left in that included constitutional material (for example, previous drafts or references that are no longer law — one local report flagged that the Three-Fifths “compromise” text appeared in the included materials where it normally would not). KOKH+1
Which amendments are missing — and why that matters
The phrase “Amendments 11–27” covers a large span of the Constitution’s post-Founding evolution. Key amendments among those include:
- 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) — abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime.
- 14th Amendment (1868) — establishes citizenship for persons born or naturalized in the U.S., contains due process and equal protection clauses that are foundational to civil rights law.
- 15th Amendment (1870) — prohibits denial of the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
- 19th Amendment (1920) — guarantees women the right to vote.
- 24th Amendment (1964) — bans poll taxes in federal elections.
- 26th Amendment (1971) — lowers the voting age to 18.
- 27th Amendment (1992) — limits Congressional pay changes until after the next election.
Omitting these amendments from the Constitution in a published educational or devotional book removes the legal and historical record of major expansions of civil rights, voting rights, and citizenship protections. That has three practical implications:
- Historical distortion: Leaving out amendments that abolished slavery (13th) and established birthright citizenship and equal-protection norms (14th) erases central episodes of American constitutional development, making the printed document an inaccurate historical source. MeidasNews+1
- Civic and educational harm: If Bibles or classroom copies used for teaching omit amendments, students and readers can get an incomplete, misleading view about the Constitution, its protections, and the mechanics of how rights were expanded over time. This problem becomes acute when state education purchases or distributions specifically supply this edition to schools (see Oklahoma coverage below). AP News+1
- Symbolic and political consequences: Packaging a selectively edited Constitution alongside scripture and branding it politically can appear to conflate religion and a partisan civic narrative, especially if key guarantees of equality and voting are absent. That combination has prompted criticism about mixing religion with political messaging and profit motives. Wikipedia+1
Real-world example: schools and the controversy
In 2024–2025, several U.S. state education policy moves and procurement items spurred scrutiny because they referenced or seemed to favor Bibles that included founding documents. Oklahoma’s initial plan to place Bibles into classrooms drew attention when teachers and others inspected copies and reported that amendments 11–27 were missing from the included constitutional text. State officials subsequently amended procurement language to broaden acceptable editions and avoid making the specific branded edition mandatory. The episode highlighted the risk of official adoption of a product that contains an incomplete or misleading civic text. AP News+1
Why might the amendments be missing?
Coverage so far does not show a single, definitive explanation from the publisher for why those amendments were omitted in the back matter. Possibilities that observers have raised include:
- Design choice or space constraint — the publisher may have chosen to include only a portion of the Constitution for space or layout reasons. (That would raise the question of why the missing material wasn’t noted or labeled.)
- Editorial selection — deliberate editorial omission (which would be a political or ideological editorial choice).
- Production error — a printing/layout mistake where pages were left out in a specific print run. (But multiple independently reviewed copies were reported to have the same omission.)
Because the omission removes large swaths of constitutional law (e.g., post–Bill of Rights amendments), many critics consider any of the above explanations insufficient without transparent clarification from the publishers and distributors. Journalistic coverage continues to develop and publishers have faced public pressure to explain the omission. Above the Law+1
Broader ethical and legal questions
The product raises multiple ethical questions that reporters, clergy, educators and legal scholars have flagged:
- Commercializing faith: Selling a branded Bible at a large markup, tied into political branding, invites questions about profiting from religious devotion. Critics say it mixes commerce, politics and religion in ways that exploit faith for revenue. Wikipedia+1
- Transparency and accuracy: Any educational or civic material sold into schools should be accurate and clearly labeled. A Constitution missing amendments — if present in materials distributed for classroom use — fails basic standards of accuracy. AP News
- Conflict of interest / optics: High-profile endorsements tied to political figures who are simultaneously political actors raises conflict-of-interest concerns (or at minimum, poor optics) when those figures profit from sales marketed to their base. Business Insider+1
What’s been reported so far — sources you can consult
- Background and controversy overview: Wikipedia’s article on the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible summarizes history, criticism and controversy. Wikipedia
- Production/shipping reporting (printed in China; shipments, unit costs): Associated Press reporting on shipments, printing company in Hangzhou, and import data. AP News+1
- Royalty and financial detail on Trump licensing: Business Insider, Christian Post, and other outlets reporting on royalties and financial disclosures. Business Insider+1
- Specifics about omitted amendments and reviews: investigative reviews, legal commentary and outlet notes including AboveTheLaw, MeidasNews, and local reporting noting teachers’ concerns and missing amendments in classroom copies. Above the Law+2MeidasNews+2
- Local/state education context & reaction: Associated Press and other outlets describing Oklahoma’s procurement adjustments after concerns were raised. AP News
Bottom line and recommended actions
- This edition is not a neutral civic text. The product is a commercial, stylized edition that packages scripture with selected patriotic texts and political branding — consumers should treat it as a marketed product, not a complete historical edition of constitutional law. Wikipedia
- Omitted amendments are consequential. Leaving out Amendments 11–27 removes core developments in American constitutional history — including abolition of slavery, citizenship and equal protection, and major voting rights expansions — and thus creates a seriously incomplete record. That omission is especially problematic when copies are proposed for use in classrooms. MeidasNews+1
- Public institutions should check accuracy. Schools and public purchasers should confirm any civic documents included in packaged materials are complete and historically accurate before distribution. The Oklahoma example shows how quickly procurement plans can become politicized and problematic when accuracy is not independently verified. AP News
- Publishers should explain the omission. A transparent explanation from the publisher and distributor about whether the omission is editorial, accidental, or otherwise is warranted — especially if these copies are being supplied to classrooms or public institutions. Wikipedia
