It seems hard to believe that anyone would even try to defend Donald Trump suggesting that we take in too many immigrants from “shithole countries.” But one of Trump’s most ardent religious right supporters tried to do exactly that.
Even as condemnation of Trump’s vulgar and racist comments poured in from both sides of the aisle, at least one person saw fit to defend him–Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. On Friday morning, he issued this statement to the Christian Broadcasting Network’s Washington correspondent, David Brody.
JUST IN to @TheBrodyFile : Pastor Robert Jeffress on President Trump’s immigration comments: “Apart from the vocabulary attributed to him, President Trump is right on target in his sentiment.”Full statement here. @robertjeffress @realDonaldTrump @WhiteHouse @POTUS pic.twitter.com/tmSOyBrZRl
— David Brody (@TheBrodyFile) January 12, 2018
This statement is even more chilling when you consider the rest of Trump’s remarks. Remember, Trump not only railed about the number of immigrants who come in from Africa and Haiti. He also wondered why don’t take in more immigrants from Nordic countries like Norway. That is what made Trump’s remarks so outrageously racist.
So it was only fair to wonder–does Jeffress feel that it is in the “interests of our nation” to take in more people from predominantly white countries than from predominantly black countries? And does he feel that by expressing such concerns, Trump is acting to “protect the well-being of our nation”?
Jeffress seemed to answer that question in an interview with The Washington Post. He said that Trump understood that this country “is not a church where everyone should be welcomed regardless of race and background.”
The implications of Jeffress’ remarks weren’t lost on Christian Left minister and blogger John Pavlovitz.
If @robertjeffress were any less Christian he’d have a red, pointy tail and pitchfork.#fraud
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) January 13, 2018
Another rising star on the Christian Left, Bishop Talbert Swan, was equally outraged.
Pastor Robert Jeffress @robertjefress praises @realDonaldTrump’s “shithole” description of Haiti and Africa:
“Apart from the vocabulary attributed to him, President Trump is right on target in his sentiment.”
Typical RACIST conservative “Christian”
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 13, 2018
For Swan, this was particularly personal, since his granddaughter is half-Haitian. He tweeted a picture of her to Trump–a picture that has gone severely viral.
Dear @realDonaldTrump
Meet Taryn, my youngest grandchild.
She was born in November to my son and his beautiful wife, an educated, hard working Haitian American.
I am so grateful that Taryn is too young to know what an inhumane, racist, repugnant monster the POTUS is. pic.twitter.com/Z0cAyc8zJX
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 12, 2018
During the campaign, Jeffress said that he wanted “the meanest, toughest, son-of-a-gun” possible. Well, Robert, you got what you wanted.
(featured image courtesy Gage Skidmore, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA license)