An unusual but relatively mild earthquake hit the Northeast today, rattling buildings and psyches across New York and New Jersey.
While rare, earthquakes along the East Coast are not unprecedented. In 2011, a quake registering 5.8 on the Richter Scale hit the seaboard. Today’s, at 4.8, was milder.
But despite these being documented scientific phenomena, some chose to interpret the shaking as a sign from God.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said that today’s rattling and the upcoming eclipse were proof it was time for Americans to repent.
“God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent. Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come. I pray that our country listens,” she posted on X.
Interpreting national disasters isn’t unsurprising for a bombastic Christian lawmaker, but almost immediately after she shared it, people online pointed out that if God was sending a message, Greene should check to see where the epicenter of the omen was.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the earthquake to a spot between Lebanon and Bedminster, New Jersey. Bedminster just so happens to be the home of a golf course owned by former President Donald Trump, which he frequents often. The clubhouse was where Trump made his infamous “fire and fury” threats to North Korea.
The direct epicenter of the quake appears to be just under five miles from Trump’s course.
“The epicenter was literally at Trump’s golf course. Maybe god is trying to tell y’all something,” wrote one viral response.
“She’s sending you and your cult a message, Midge,” said another.
Trump and Greene have long courted the Christian evangelical vote, despite their noted dalliances from the basic tenets of the religion.
Greene recently criticized women for not being chaste enough, despite reports of her own affairs. And Trump, well, everyone knows his manifold sins.
This week, in fact, Trump declared Election Day “Christian Visibility Day,” in response to Biden’s Trans Day of Remembrance proclamation that happened to fall on Easter.
Biden’s actions caused a weeklong outrage from the right wing, who claimed he was sullying the holiday.
But the White House has yet to be hit by a sign from God, something the far-right can no longer claim.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.