On his SiriusXM show Friday, host John Fugelsang spoke with a Donald Trump-supporting caller named Tiffany. Because she said her Christian faith meant so much to her, Fugelsang tried getting her to answer a simple question: Could she cite anything from the Bible — any teaching of Jesus — that backed up Trump’s horrendous policies?
In other words, was there anything Christian about Trump?
Tiffany, who admitted her “political knowledge is not very high,” couldn’t come up with a single Christ-like thing about Trump.
Tiffany explained her vote for Trump by saying “He wasn’t Hillary Clinton.” Okay. She hated the other side more than she supported her own. But what was it about her Christian faith that drew her to Trump?
“Well, the first thing that came to my mind is that Christians believe in forgiveness,” she parried. “Like when Obama was president he wasn’t my favorite,” adding that the former president “took my insurance away.”
Fugelsang interrupted to point out that Obama made sure no one would lose their insurance over a pre-existing conditions.
“You’re right,” Tiffany conceded, before adding her and her son’s pre-existing conditions are still covered.
Strike one.
So, again, why would Christians like her support Trump? What part of the Sermon on the Mount is Trump following?
“I think he’s the Christian option because he always uses God’s name,” she attempted before adding that Trump is “bringing Jesus back to America.”
Obama also used God’s name. So did Hillary Clinton. (So did her running mate Tim Kaine, a former missionary.) Trump, on the other hand, only pays lip service to his Christian base; he doesn’t live according to their stated beliefs. Nothing about his pre-presidential life would be used in a pastor’s anecdote about living a godly life, and his time in office has been filled with cruelty, ignorance, grift, and policies that will only make life worse for the “least of these.”
Strike two.
So, again, why would evangelicals like Tiffany support Trump?
She responded, “He loves people!”
Fugelsang rightly responded by saying that Trump has called Mexicans “rapists.” He’s called reporters the “enemy of the people.” He mocked a disabled person on the campaign trail. He constantly calls his opponents childish names. The only people he likes are the ones who pledge their loyalty to him — and even they’re disposable to him after a while.
(Plus, name any politician who doesn’t claim to love people. It’s part of the job description to at least say that.)
Strike three.
Tiffany never gave a decent answer. She didn’t even bring up the fact that Trump has nominated a slew of conservative Christian judges, which I would at least understand (even though it shouldn’t make up for everything else he does).
Fugelsang tried one more time to reiterate his point: Trump goes against everything Jesus said. He bragged about sexually assaulting women. He hurts the poor. He praises white supremacists. He’s had five kids with three wives, and there’s reason to believe he’s had multiple affairs. He doesn’t ask for forgiveness. He isn’t humble. He isn’t honest. There’s nothing Christ-like about him. Can’t Tiffany see that?
“I’m a big fan of Jesus,” the radio host assured her. “Here’s what I struggle with, and I say this with respect and love. I can’t think of a single teaching of Christ that Donald Trump has fought for on a policy or personal level. To me, it is an absolute repudiation of the Sermon on the Mount and there is nothing Jesus taught in the New Testament that I have not seen Donald Trump reject publicly.”
At the end of the interview, Fugelsang asked if Tiffany would loan Trump all her money if he promised to pay her back (with interest) a year from now.
“Probably, yes,” she said.
The gullibility is strong in these MAGA people.
I wish Fugelsang would’ve asked her one more question: Why would she even call in…?
(via Raw Story. Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Scott for the link)