Is Donald Trump heaven-sent? At least one of his paid staffers thinks so.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the Christian Broadcasting Network that God wanted Donald Trump to become President of the United States.
“I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that He wanted Donald Trump to become president,” said Sanders. “That’s why he’s there and I think he has done a tremendous job in supporting a lot of the things that people of faith really care about.”
Trump’s attempts at public religion have been awkward, at best.
He said he does not ask for forgiveness and “does not bring God into that picture” when he makes mistakes.
He has tried to put money in the Communion plate and referred to the sacrament as “my little wine” and “my little cracker.”
He mispronounced a book of the Bible, and when asked about his favorite verse, has either deferred or, in one case, cited “an eye for an eye,” an Old Testament revenge scheme specifically condemned by Christ. (Turn the other cheek, Jesus said.)
Trump tussled with the Pope and was shushed by a minister in Detroit.
When asked theological questions, Trump often speaks in terms so vague they approach opacity.
Asked “Who is God to you?” by the Christian Broadcasting Network, Trump answered “God is the ultimate,” then began a brief spiel about how he got a great deal on a golf course before circling back to his original definition.
“So nobody, no thing, no there’s nothing like God.”
In her interview with CBN, Sanders had some sharp words for several freshman Democratic House members who have questioned continued support for Israel.
“I think it is outrageous that the leadership of Democrats haven’t called on these people to either take their comments back. They haven’t condemned them,” Sanders charged.
A cluster of activist Democrats has dared to breach what has been an almost inviolable orthodoxy in both political parties, strong support for Israel, raising the specter of a crack in the Democratic Party that Republicans could use to attract Jewish supporters.
“Where’s the leadership on the Democrats’ side to call this out? It is unbelievable that this is going totally unchecked, totally off the radar of most of the mainstream media.”
Sanders was not asked about growing white nationalism in the country that has backed Trump and expressed anti-Zionist views.
Hate in the United States came into full view in 2017 as white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, Va., with lines of men carrying torches and chanting, “Jews will not replace us.”
Trump was slow to condemn the white supremacists, at one point equating them to the counter-protesters.
Despite his historically low approval rating, Sanders says her boss will continue to play to his evangelical base.
“I would argue he’s the most conservative president that we’ve ever had,” said Sanders. “You look at the judicial nominations alone I think that will be one of the greatest legacies that the president has after his 8 years in office is how he has completely remade the judiciary and started to stop this activist court that we’ve started to see over the last 8 years. There’s a reason evangelicals are sticking with the President, and that’s because he’s delivered on all the things he said he would do.”
Sanders also says she prays for her enemies every day.