Radford University experts available: Trump vs. Pope; Earth Day topics - drought and sustainability
Radford, VA (04/20/2026) — Radford University faculty experts are available to speak about the following:
President Trump's spat with Pope
U.S. President Donald Trump's feud with Pope Leo is "essentially two leaders who in one way or another are believed by their strongest supports to be 'appointed' by God, and who see themselves as God's agent in the world," says Radford University Associate Professor of Religion Carter Turner.
"Trump has repeatedly stated that God saved him from an assassin's bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 to 'make America great again,' and according to polls, this belief is shared by many of his supporters, many of whom are conservative, Protestant-evangelical Christians," Turner explains. "The Pope, on the other hand, the highest-profile religious leader in the world, is offering a different moral interpretation of the war, as well as on Trump's immigration policies. How can two people "appointed" by God have such differing interpretations of God's will? This public fight is about establishing who, by way of God's sanction, has the moral authority to dictate what is right and wrong in the world."
If Trump cedes that ground to the Pope," Turner continues, "it undermines his legitimacy among his strongest supporters and suggests that his cause - making America great again - isn't aligned with the will of God. Protecting the narrative that it is - that through Trump, America is doing God's work in the world, is imperative for the president."
Phone: (540) 831-2118
Email: cturner5@radford.edu
Earth Day
Earth Day 2026 is Wednesday, April 22, and Radford University has faculty experts available to speak about topics related to the global environmental movement that began more than a half century ago.
Stockton Maxwell, professor and chair of Radford's Department of Geospatial and Earth Sciences is available to speak about drought in Virginia and throughout the United States, the risk of spring wildfires and changes to science funding and government priorities. Maxwell's expertise includes forest ecology, wildfire, climatology, paleoclimatology and environmental science.
Phone: (540) 831-7604
Email: rmaxwell2@radford.edu
Radford University Sustainability Manager Aysha Bodenhamer is also available to speak about campus sustainability initiatives and why we celebrate Earth Day by planting trees. "Planting trees is one of the best things we can do to help mitigate climate change, repair riparian buffers, present erosion, and to provide cleaner air to breathe and more habitats for wildlife. It's a sign of hope for the future," Bodenhamer said.
Phone: (540) 831-5067
Email: abodenham3@radford.edu
Radford University
Justin Ward (540) 831-1953, jward53@radford.eduShare this Story
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