By Tim Reid and Helen Coster
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - Donald Trump's narrow brush with a would-be assassin's bullet has further convinced his evangelical supporters he is blessed by God, reinforcing the messianic undertones of his populist presidential campaign.
Trump and his campaign have infused his candidacy with Christian imagery, prompting critics to accuse them of fostering a cult of personality with him as its leader, solely capable of saving an America he falsely portrays as crime-ridden and on the verge of collapse.
In interviews with 18 delegates on Monday at the Republican Party's national convention in Milwaukee, all but two believed God had a hand in Trump's escape from assassination.
Many said that divine intervention was God's way of showing American voters that Trump, and not President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is the right man to occupy the White House after the election.
"To me, it was God-given protection," said Sharon D. Regan, a Trump delegate from Florida. "It was miraculous. It was sent by heaven and I pray that protection continues."
Trump himself cast his narrow escape as the work of God. On Sunday, the eve of his formal nomination as the Republican candidate, he wrote on his Truth Social platform that "it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening."
In both the 2016 and 2020 elections, evangelical voters staunchly supported Trump despite claims of adultery and sexual misconduct, which he denied. Critics in both political parties denounce him as immoral and set on dismantling democracy.
With Trump convicted in May for a hush money payment to a porn star and facing dozens of other criminal charges as he pursues a second term, some Christian media are portraying him as an instrument of God's will being persecuted by internal foes.
Ray Myers, a Texas delegate, said: "There's some kind of mystical thing going on. After everything he's been through, everything that's been thrown at him, and now he's even shed his own blood. And he's still here. I don't know how else you can explain it, but God is involved."
For voters who believe that Trump is anointed by God, Saturday's attempted assassination is "another piece of the puzzle that fell into place," said Paul Djupe, a political scientist at Denison University who specializes in religion and politics.
Djupe said the shooting helped affirm for those voters that "Trump is battling forces of evil on the other side, and it affirmed his special role as the protector of Christians against the vast forces of evil including Democrats."
Trump and his followers frequently post images of Trump as a Christ-like figure on social media. T-shirts at his rallies also promote this idea, including one of Jesus laying his hands on Trump's shoulders.
Melanie Collette, a New Jersey delegate, said there was a strong belief at the convention that "God interceded" to save Trump. But she cautioned: "We certainly don't want to deify Donald Trump. That's a cautionary tale for Christians."
Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist who is an outspoken critic of Trump, said he does not believe the deification of Trump among his supporters helps Trump in a general election.
"I think it frightens a lot of voters, that a lot of his supporters think he's the messiah," Madrid said.