Donald Trump is a racist, a misogynist, a moron, a serial sexual assailant and a serial sexual harasser. He is in bed with dictators and despots. He hates poor people. He’s on his third marriage and he’s cheated on every wife. He sexualizes his favorite daughter constantly. He let’s Mother’s Husband dictate the administration’s policies on LGBTQ people. Donald Trump is trash. He is a garbage person. He is also adored and accepted by Evangelicals, because this is our world. I live in a very churchy, Evangelical area of Virginia and let me tell you: these people are ride-or-die for Trump. They loathed Barack Obama, a family man on his first marriage, because he trusted women to make their own reproductive choices, and because he wanted people to have affordable health care. But those same people are all for everything Donald Trump does and says.
In the wake of the Stormy Daniels revelations – in which we all learned that Trump had an affair with a porn star and paid her off to keep her mouth shut – Politico asked Family Research Council president Tony Perkins what he and other Evangelicals think about Trump. His answer was unsurprising. Donald Trump is still the answer to many conservative evangelical leaders’ prayers. Or at least to their continuing grievances. They embrace Trump the policymaker, says Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, despite being uneasy about Trump as a man.
Perkins knows about Stormy Daniels, the porn actress who claimed, in a 2011 interview, that in 2006 she had sex with Trump four months after his wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. He knows of the reports that she was paid off to keep the affair quiet in the waning weeks of the 2016 election. He knows about the cursing, the lewdness and the litany of questionable behavior over the past year of Trump’s life or the 70 that came before it.
“We kind of gave him—‘All right, you get a mulligan. You get a do-over here,’” Perkins told me in an interview for the latest episode of POLITICO’s Off Message podcast. Weigh a paid-off porn star against being the first president to address the March for Life, and a lot of evangelical leaders insist they can still walk away happy.
Evangelical Christians, says Perkins, “were tired of being kicked around by Barack Obama and his leftists. And I think they are finally glad that there’s somebody on the playground that is willing to punch the bully.”
What happened to turning the other cheek?, I ask. “You know, you only have two cheeks,” Perkins says. “Look, Christianity is not all about being a welcome mat which people can just stomp their feet on.”
According to Perkins, evangelical leaders have no illusions about the nature of their relationship with Trump. “I don’t think this president is using evangelicals … I think he genuinely enjoys the relationship that had developed. He has found, I think—and he’s a very transactional president. Trust is important to him. Loyalty is important to him, and I think in this transaction, he realizes, ‘hey, these are people I can count on, because they don’t blow with the political winds,’” he says. “It’s a developing relationship, but I’ll have to say this: from a policy standpoint, he has delivered more than any other president in my lifetime.”
Later, Perkins adds, “I think the president is providing the leadership we need at this time, in our country and in our culture.”
As a moral leader? I ask. “As a leader,” Perkins replies.
Imagine the sort of mental gymnastics you have to do to say these words, to believe what he believes, to explain what he’s explaining. All this time, the Evangelical movement was as deep as a puddle – they never cared about adultery, sin, abuse, the poor, immigrants, health care, race or racism. They don’t give a sh-t. It was all for show. The Evangelicals are just one political wing of a decrepit GOP who only care about the “R” beside someone’s name. If there’s an R, that person gets all the mulligans.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
These hypocrites sure are particular about sexual behavior when it’s a Democratic president.
I don’t even have words left. “Frustrating” stopped covering it a year ago. Can you imagine the epic shitshow that would have ensued if this had been Obama?
Actually, Obama wouldn’t even have been elected after the Access Hollywood tape became public.
I genuinely don’t understand what has happened to our country. Are his supporters — both voters and legislators — truly so blinded by racism that the fact that he is white allows excuses for any and all abhorrent behavior? Paying off a porn star to keep her mouth shut about an affair he had when his son was an infant? REALLY? That’s okay now?
Republicans were even appalled at Nixon, but they all shrug Trump’s BS off like it’s nothing. This cannot be all about them wanting their precious tax cuts.
“so blinded by racism that the fact that he is white allows excuses for any and all abhorrent behavior?” Pretty much how we all see it.
Tony Perkins founded and runs a hate group. His only purpose is to promote the superiority of white men and the subjugation of everyone else.
I found it especially gross that the “bully” they want to punch on the playground is Barack Obama, black man. They are happy that the black guy is getting punched out by the white guy.
But seriously, this whole interview had me making “wtf!?” faces over and over again as the things this evangelical “Christian” guy said continuously seemed to be the literal opposite of everything preached by Christ. Punch people out? Quit turning the cheek? Christianity isn’t a welcome mat? I thought that was sort of the point of it…you come and you dump all your baggage on the welcome mat that is Christianity and God and Jesus say “it’s okay, you are welcome here anyways.”
I am a born again Christian who attends church every Sunday because I enjoy it there. But even I can see that evangelicals in the US who support Trump have SOLD OUT. In my opinion, they got tired of waiting for God to answer their right wing, conservative, racist “prayers” and so they thought “Let’s vote for Trump and he’ll finally get us a right wing Supreme Court judge and stop all those social programs”. They are whoring themselves out for the sake of their political agenda. Nothing more, nothing less.
They are the “transactional” ones, not Trump.
It’s just about money and greed for these people, isn’t it? And controlling women because the Evo men are flaccid wonders. These Evangelicals see Trump and the GOP delivering them material goodies and control. They hide behind some Christian banner but as we have discovered, when you dig deeper there is a lot of dirt in their lives. Hypocrites.
I don’t know Kaiser, if this was coming from Ben Carson or Tim Scott, they would want their heads.
They don’t need to say it. Republicans use surrogates like Tony Perkins, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell Jr. to convince the base that their racist agenda is divinely endorsed.
If Jesus (lefty middle-easterner) came alive again today, he’d be run over by the same nazis of Charlottesville.
All cheered on, of course, by the moral hypocrite Tony Perkins.
Yes! He would probably have come as a refugee and been refused by these right wing Christian hypocrites.
Jesus WAS a refugee. He and his family fled Israel to escape the Roman emperor Herod. Jesus and his family fled to Egypt and only came back many years later.
So yes, Jesus was a Middle Eastern refugee who fled to a foreign land to escape a violent oppressive regime.
Jesus wouldn’t even be let in the country.
ICE would deport him.
Jesus wouldn’t be a “Christian.”
I seriously have to wonder if people like this have ever read the Bible. I mean, really. Do they just listen to the sermons for their gospel of wealth megapastors, and forget about the actual teachings of Christ?
“Look, Christianity is not all about being a welcome mat which people can just stomp their feet on.” Yes, yes, it actually is.
This has always been about Roe v Wade. It’s the reason a Supreme Court nominee was stolen from Barack Obama. As long as the Courts are being stacked with conservatives (which is exactly what’s happening), the Evangelical base will never dump Trump.
It’s all about the legislation of reproductive rights; I wonder how many of these evangelicals realize that there is another side to this? Let’s say Roe v Wade is eventually overturned by SCOTUS. Don’t people advocating for the unborn realize that the legislation of reproductive rights opens the door to the government dictating which people shouldn’t have children as well — including women AND men.
They know there will be many women dying and many poor families struggling. They know the(ir) government will dictate morality and reproduction. That’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
And Trump (really Sessions, you know Trump didn’t come up with this plan) is stacking the court system with super young, inexperienced conservative judges whose statements and briefs will be written by Breitbart flunkies.
It will take decades to undo the damage.
I remember Obama issuing this warning and told people to go out and vote. Many people stayed at home because they thought it was a done deal that Hilary would win or some voted for Trump because they thought Trump was the lesser of the two evils, some even argued that when Trump gets to the WH he would changer etc, now 55% of people that didn’t vote or voted for him thinking he was the lesser of the 2 evils are regretting their decisions. There was a guy that appeared on CNN and he said that ISIS were rooting for Trump to win the election because they were saying that with Trump in power they would not even need to radicalize anyone, they would just sit back and enjoy watching Trump finish off America single handedly; now I see what ISIS meant. At the end of 4 6years, even if Trump becomes a one term president, the damage to the US will be vast it will be irreparable, mark my words.
Yup. RvW and the Supreme Court. That’s all they care about. They’d back the devil himself if he was anti-choice.
But it’s not really reproductive rights they care about. It’s about controlling women. I know this is your message, but it bears saying more clearly:the evangelical movement exists for one reason only: to control women. The end. They have no theology. They have no morals. There is no “pro-life”. It’s about controlling women. And we need to stop playing along with their delusion that this is about anything else.
I think the Evangelicals are in for a mighty big surprise, should their agenda succeed. I agree the Evangelicals are all about controlling women, but …
The agenda of the Alt-Right is ridding society of all those who don’t fit their “pure, white-only” mentality, including white people who genetically are inferior. Not every evangelical fits the bill of genetic superiority (consider the poor, white evangelical with a genetic history of say, cystic fibrosis), and this is where the Evangelical movement might wake up to the fact that their message was hijacked to aid in a larger agenda. Alt-Right isn’t going to foot the bill for expensive social programs on anyone who doesn’t fit their ideal. Hence, the notion that sterilization is actually another facet of reproductive rights. Sure, at the moment is all about controlling women, but look at the larger picture — it’s about a perfect, white, male-dominated society — straight from Hitler’s playbook.
@PunkyMomma THIS THIS THIS. So many of these hypocrites, if they get their way, are going to wish someone had leaned over and whispered, “Psssst! They’re talking about you.”
The media really needs to get the message out that outlawing abortions will NOT prevent abortions.
Also, to all the “Christian” men who “forgive” all the extra-marital affairs, it sounds much more like normalization and approval than forgiveness. We see your lying, cheating, mistress-hiding ways. We all see right through you. Everybody knows.
Wait until one of these men get their mistresses pregnant….how quick will they ask for abortions
Yeah, but you know, being gay is the real sin. I mean, it’s not in the 10 commandments like adultery, but it’s TOTALLY WORSE! 🙄
It’s lip service on abortion. They use it as an excuse for their behavior. If it came out trump paid for abortions, ordered them to be done they would back him 100%. They are hypocrites and don’t care about anyone except their political power. They are liars, it’s about political power not abortion.
Well, it’s obviously about political power on some level, but political power for what, exactly? Aside from massive corporate and environmental deregulations that will surely reward their rich donors, what exactly IS GOP ideology as we currently know it? And how exactly does it help the GOP’s constituents?
It’s about white male dominance at all costs, which includes denying women bodily autonomy and disempowering the most marginalized members of our society. In the absence of cogent ideology and viable legislation, it’s clear that their focus is on concentrating power in the hands of wealthy white Christian men. That’s not so much due to Trump and crew, but the rich donor class who are pulling the puppet strings behind the scenes. A predominantly white wealthy male Christian society benefits a very small portion of the America population, regardless of political affiliation.
It’s families like the Mercers and Kochs who most want to see this vision of America come to fruition.
Agree kitten, it is about dominance and they believe they can enact laws to enforce it. Politics is their hammer and fist. Abortion is another way for them to control not only through DC but through the church. Just like gay sex, Evangelicals chose the sins most haven’t committed (the ones they can hide) and target those “sinners”, and wield their righteousness like a weapon. They want to separate themselves from the liberal godless sinners and they do it through sins they haven’t supposedly committed, abortion & homosexuality. It all about power grabbing, superiority and the power to force laws. Getting their women in line is always in order to achieve it. They don’t care one iota about that baby and are honestly righty used by the wealthy. Stupid is as stupid does and sooner or later it will tank the church as we know it. Their day is coming and it may be sooner rather than later. They have sold their soul to the “devil” (corporate America) and he will collect.
The Mercers, Kochs, etc. want the 1890s back, pure and simple.
But Dump has paid for abortions. It’s out there and the press isn’t covering this story. They already know that once women call him to say they are pregnant that he gets someone to take care of it. Dump has bragged about this many times. He has literally aborted more babies than the supposed evil Obama.
A “mulligan” is a SECOND chance you barely-sentient haemorrhoid, not a three thousand two hundred and eighty-fifth!
Let us never forget that the Donald Trump who addressed the March For Life is the same one who signed the Global Gag Rule EO, that has utterly skyrocketed abortion rates around the globe. And when I say “skyrocketed” I mean literally MILLIONS more (completely unnecessary) abortions will be performed over a four-year term as a result of the US stopping funding to hundreds of organisations that were the only supply of BC to tens of millions of vulnerable women in countries where rape and child marriage are seen as men’s inalienable rights.
As I said above — the skyrocketing largely unsafe abortions are a feature, not a bug. Many women will die and many more will be unsuccessful. In the 70s the Evangelical Right was actually reluctantly pro-choice but things changed with Reagan.
What leadership? He has no idea at all on how to run the country. John Kelly and the priveleged hairy penis who claims he is 32 are running the country. He just takes credit for when they are successful at something. Luckily it is almost never.
How many “mulligans” can one get? Does he get one per kid? One per marriage? he has been married, what, 3 or 4 times? Dos he get one affair per marriage per girlfriend? I believe that he cheated on everyone of his wives because he is a narcissistic sociapath.
One of the few things I am glad about is that Dump and his team are exposing these right wing lunatics for the fraudulent, morally bankrupt, racist, sexist, incompetent, energy drainers that they really are. Yes, I think most of us knew in the bottom of our black hearts of what they are, but they are finally giving concrete evidence of it. They keep pushing the goal post further and further back to accomadate him and his loathesome behavior. They think they are getting something out of this and come out unscathed when he gets arrested on money laundering and other felonies. I truly believe that once all of this is over, people like Eddie Munster, Turtle, and Tony Perkins are going under.
All I have to say about John Kelly is some of us POC’s tried to warn fellow Celebitches that his attack on Representive Wilson was classic bigoted behavior. Bigots always retain *false* memories regarding people they are bigoted about. Their false memories are usually tied to deep seated stereotypes. Representative Wilson gave a classy dedication speech at the renaming of the FBI building and thanked every police officer and FBI agent that attended. We saw the released video. But Kelly’s false memory was of her being an egotistical loud mouth who said nothing important besides taking credit for everything, an empty barrow with no intelligence. He said. And people gave him a break.
Now he is one of the primary people holding back DACA and against legal immigration from places with brown and black people. Seriously try believing POC’s when he say someone is a bigot or racist. Just like this fake “pro-life” Evangelical, women still don’t get that White supremacy promotes sexism and misogyny. What role do women in these Evangelical churches play, what role did female Nazi in Hilter’s Germany play while they men all took leadership roles? Exactly.
I know these kinds of people. They are very insular and truly believe they are under constant attack. There’s no reaching them. We should just try to help the ones that break free.
You are so right. There really isn’t and so many people I’ve known, love and respected for a long time have completely lost my respect and their damn minds because they follow this man and think everything he does is gold. Except for all the shit he says, that’s all fake news though. I just can’t get over how people I used to look up to think like this.
White christian men are getting kick around? I actually never knew. I feel so sorry and hope they can find support.
Bwahaha thank you!! I just spit out my tea!
This is sooooo my own parents and my in laws and it absolutely heartbreaking and astounding. People that I love and have been around for either my entire life or half my life that are exactly this. They only care about the R and the fact that he throws out there that he’s “pro life” which I call BS on anyway and they rail against the liberals at all times to defend this man. It’s so sick I hate it and it gives me so much anxiety.
This weekend my in laws were here and I knew stuff would come up because my FIL can’t help himself and has a word vomit problem and honestly does not get the drift that we are not pro Trump because he’s too self absorbed to notice. He lloooovvvvveeeesss Trump and was talking about how Dick Durbin is a liar and how it was so good we got out of IL because it’s a failing state all due to the liberals. I didn’t hear all of it because I try and stay away and my husband gets the brunt of it. My eyes almost fell out of my head. First of all we moved out of IL 4 1/2 years ago and he’s bringing that up now. Second, there’s been a republican governor there for a while so what has he done? Oh yeah take money from the most vulnerable and innocent to give to his people. Is IL terrible? Yes, but that has to do with so many factors. Anyway, I could go on and on. I just want this term to be over before I literally have no family left.
Pro-life my ass. Trump was always a NY Democrat, and how much do you want to bet he paid off at LEAST one or two mistresses to terminate pregnancies?
This is all so disgusting.
He was even quoted, since he has been president, that he didn’t care about abortion. He has to pretend that he does.
He joked on the Howard Stern(?) show about wanting to abort Tiffany to save on child support and he has attended fundraisers for Planned Parenthood in the past.
Oh yeah that’s exactly what I was saying. I would be shocked if he hadn’t paid for at least one abortion in his life. Yes he is definitely pretending that he is pro life and cares about that issue and from my perspective here that’s pretty much the entire reason most of my family voted for him and will continue to support him. Abortion is literally the only thing they care about stopping. They are ALWAY posting stuff about how abortions are THE worst thing you can do and God won’t forgive you for that. Obviously he forgives adulterers, racists and liars though. They are pro birth but couldn’t care less about what happens to that child after it’s born, it makes me sick the hypocrisy of it all.
I also made the mistake of reading comments on an IG post from a person that identified herself as evangelical until this man came into office. She loathes this man as much as any other reasonable person does and her audience has given her so much backlash. One woman who kept commenting and arguing literally said these things. “Trump has been the best thing to happen to Christians.” In regards to the comment “grab them by the p@&$?” She said “yes he said those things but he didn’t do them. That’s fake liberal news and their lies!”
I was dumbfounded by what these WOMEN were saying and how they were hating on the OP because she has the guts to call him and everyone else out. It’s terrifying that so many people think like this. They are willing to overlook his THREE marriages and his adultery and the fact that he said all of that disgusting, degrading, misogynistic shit because they think he will push their agenda.
Of course he has. And I think they all know that, but he’s so stupid and uninterested in all of it, he’s willing to sign whatever is put in front of him and put whoever they say in positions of power. He’s a puppet.
HOW. No really, HOW has Barack Obama attacked these people? WTF? I thought glue sniffing was a thing of the past. Not getting to dictate everyone else’s life choices with your cult beliefs is NOT the same as being under attack you fascist buttmunch.
You won’t get a real answer. I once asked someone, who was ranting about the war on Christianity, how they have been prevented from practicing their religion. Did someone burn down their church? Bolt the doors shut? Break into their home and steal their Bible? The utter nonsense I got back in return was insane. There is no logic, there is no reason, there is no hope for those people.
He was the one who was president when same-sex marriage was legalised.
Check out the Right Wing Watch website – there are a ton of articles about how granting the LGBT community equal rights is somehow the gateway to “Christians” being herded up and sent of to the gas chambers in cattle wagons. I wish I was making this up.
Oh, and he’s black. Remember, these are the same loons that will tell you there was no racism in America until Obama came along…
By having the nerve to be black and be the president. Period. That’s all.
He has never attacked them, Obama has always been respectful of every religion.
Pharisees, every last one of them.
JFC, What IS IT about this orange piece of garbage that half the population just overlooks some of the most heinous shit that we’ve seen in our lifetimes? Is there *no one* with a spine willing to at least attempt to shut down this nightmare?
The Family Research Council is classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Centre..that tells you all you need to know about them. Also, they used to employ Josh Duggar.
Also, FRC was cofounded by George Alan Rekers. I wouldn’t care so much about some guy getting busted with a 20 year old male prostitute, but it’s the hypocrisy. FWIW- I don’t think Rekers was granted a mulligan.
Also forgot about the time Tony Perkins of the FRC helped cover up a Republican candidate’s molesting of a supporter’s son. Because family values, y’all.
“Evangelical Christians, says Perkins, ‘were tired of being kicked around by Barack Obama and his leftists. And I think they are finally glad that there’s somebody on the playground that is willing to punch the bully.'”
Yeah, this sounds like Jesus, all right.
These mofos are not only stupid and hypocritical, they are espousing a Christianity that is the opposite of Jesus’ teachings. It’s sickening.
Is Trump punching himself then? Because he is the biggest bully around. I’m astounded by what this guy said. And did you notice his answer to the question “As a MORAL leader” ? He responded “As a leader”. So obviously he doesn’t think Trump is a moral leader.
Just keep calmly and politely repeating “What would Jesus do?” when they say such awful things. It may not make an obvious dent in the attitudes of the person you address, but I can pretty much guarantee that you will be planting a seed of doubt in some others listening in.
I said last week that Mr Mueller would be throwing the hammer down around the anniversary of the inauguration or the SotU address and
BOOM
Turns out he interviewed second-tier target and current AG Jeff Keebler Sessions last week on possible Obstruction of Justice charges.
Much more to come peeps!
They all probably cheat on their wives, too. No biggie to them. They are the very definition of hypocrisy.
This is why young people are leaving the church in DROVES
Yep! I was just talking about this with some friends. We’re all late 20s/early 30s…none of us have been to church in years. I only go when I visit my parents and that’s not every time.
I wish this was true but the stats are not reassuring. More people need to leave religion before we can advance as a society.
Just told my partner that yesterday, in a discussion we were having about whether churches should be taxed or not (we think they should). I said that I think this youth exodus could bode well for eventual passage of new laws that require churches to pay taxes. Here where we live in the south, many churches are used as tax shelters for what are actually businesses, and they also shield themselves from other rules like ADA, employment laws, etc. by refusing any transparency.
Well, SOMEONE is certainly wiping his feet all over the Christian welcome mat. These people are just moronic.
I dislike the Angry Orange but I really could care less about this “story” he’s a creep and “Stormy” is a pornstar who willingly became a mistress to a married man. No winners here. No sympathy for her.
It still perplexes me how the most disloyal human being on the planet is the receipent of so much loyalty in others. Trump has proven time & time again his loyalty is only reserved for himself. Just mind boggling…
So no one over there cares that 45 slept with a P0RN STAR while married and then paid her (off) $130K??????????????????? A Dem would be eviscerated – mutilated – hounded – by the GOP. If you contradict that, you are dead wrong. It is absolutely unbelievable.
I’m not proud of this, or maybe I am, but I stopped going to church over this. I feel betrayed by this; this has zero to do with God and everything to do with misogyny, racism, bottom lines financially, and as a deeply spiritual person (raised as a Christian but seeing beyond that), this has hurt me deeply. None of this was close to what I believe. To me, now, going to church feels like a betrayal to myself and to those others who suffer. Who ever thought you’d have to feel guilty for taking your kid to church?
Long ago in my teens I shocked my brother by saying “Going to church won’t make a person good, and sometimes it makes people bad.” If you can’t find a better church, just practice your religion privately.
Consider yourself in a place where there are no churches, and do what you would do then.
If you know other people who feel likewise, you can meet sometimes for joint prayer and study.
I’m so sorry for your pain. Your heart is the temple and if your faith is rooted in kindness, which it certainly seems to be, it will always be with you— whether you’re in a building with a steeple or not. Sending love.
I’m with you. I think I would be a Christian and go to church if being a Christian meant, as it is supposed to, “follower of Christ.” But the church and the “Christians” are all preaching the exact opposite of what Christ wanted for people, and it’s become revolting. Christian now means conservative Republican and the religion that was founded on loving thy neighbor, and treating well the least of our fellow men, has now become all about purposefully ruining the lives of the poor, the sick, the women, and the people of color, so that wealthy white men can have the best life possible. If Christianity somehow saved itself and actually began to practice acting like Jesus, I would be a Christian.
Why is anyone surprised? These are the same people who spawned Jim Bakker! Didn’t that one have an affair with the church secretary? It happened around the time of Iran Contra and I always get the secty and Fawn Hall (I believe she was Oliver North’s secty) mixed up.
They are all going straight to hell over everything.
Is it okay to sleep with “the devil” simply to get your religious ideals met … seems so with the Christian right. Their narrow agenda seems the least like Jesus. Their hypocrisy makes me sick.
Most humanoids have four cheeks.