On Friday, Oct 3, 2017, Donald Trump delivered a speech in front of the Family Research Council (FRC), a conservative Christian group that lobbies against LGBTQ rights. During his speech, Trump commented on his political agenda to stop the “cold attacks on Judeo-Christian values.” He ended the speech by claiming the United States’ faith in God will help solve all of America’s problems. Trump’s continuous campaign to gain the votes of Christians disregarded 200 million other religions practiced in the US.

In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to the Baptists of Danbury, Connecticut, explaining the importance of the freedom of religion. In his letter, Jefferson elaborated on the topic by saying that American people should not have to worry about their religions being prohibited or disrespected by government legislature.

This was written into the United States’ constitution for the sole purpose of avoiding another series of religious wars. Trump’s speech promised to cut back on the separation of church and state, which may result in repression of the Americans that don’t practice Christianity.

Trump is the first sitting president to address the FRC group of Christian conservatives at their annual meeting. The conference is characterized as a controversial anti-LGBTQ event. During his presidential campaign, Trump referred to himself as a “friend of the gays.” His speech reveals yet another empty promise Trump made during his campaign. The same people he is trying to win the vote of, refer to homosexuality as pedophilia and terrorism associated with beastiality, alcoholism and adultery.

However, the most pressing controversy of Trump’s speech comes from the motivation behind it. Days before Trump delivered the speech, an advertisement on Facebook relating to Trump’s stance surfaced and gained wide popularity.

The post was bought and paid for by a Russian internet research agency, with the intent gaining popularity and staring political debates over a Christian holiday that happens once a year.

Facebook removed the post, and deleted the account it was shared on shortly after Trump’s speech. This is Facebook’s way of covering up the fact that anyone, even Russian spies, can create meaning on Facebook’s platform. What started as a fake debate that the Russians designed to turn Americans against each other, became a reality when Trump included it in his keynote speech.

This is a perfect example of the cultivation effect. Developed by Professor George Gerbner, of the University of California at Berkeley, the cultivation effect defines the concept that the more people participate in socially constructed systems of ideas, the more they interpret their world in a socially constructed way.

For example, the more people shared and discussed the fake Facebook advertisement, the more of a problem it became. Social media platforms add an entirely new layer to how we think about facts. We are allowing companies such as Facebook to control facts, which is essential for making and maintaining power.

Rather than focusing on more pressing problems that the United States is facing, such as climate change, poverty, and the threat of a nuclear war, Trump spends his time advocating for Christmas. Christmas is an important holiday in Christian religions, and is widely celebrated.

However, Trump cares more about a holiday that occurs once a year, than the real problems facing our nation. He expects the power of God to fix America’s problems instead of doing something about it himself. While some people believe in God’s powers, the approximated 81 million Americans that don’t are forced to sit idly by and watch the United States self destruct.