On Thursday, President Donald Trump delivered an erratic speech on the tarmac at Cleveland Airport, targeting Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
It's not unusual for the President to sling insults at his opponent. The Trump campaign frequently paints Biden as diminished and "hiding in his basement."
But Trump's latest attacks took a strange turn once he began invoking Biden's religion.
Watch below.
Trump on Biden: "No religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt ... God. He's against God, he's against guns." pic.twitter.com/oiIdPcY2vl
— The Recount (@therecount) August 6, 2020
The President warned that Biden would:
"Take away your guns, destroy your second amendment, no religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God. He's against God. He's against guns. He against energy, our kind of energy. I don't think he's gonna do too well in Ohio."
The moment soon began trending on Twitter, and it wasn't long before Biden responded.
The former Vice President said in a statement obtained by the Hill that Trump's words were "beneath the dignity of the office he holds" and "beneath the dignity the American people so rightly expect and deserve from their leaders."
He continued:
"However, like the words of so many other insecure bullies, President Trump's comments reveal more about him than they do about anyone else. They show us a man willing to stoop to any low for political gain, and someone whose actions are completely at odds with the values and teachings that he professes to believe in."
Biden, a practicing Catholic, went on to say that his faith helped him through moments of "tragedy and loss," particularly with the sudden deaths of his wife and daughter in a 1972 automobile accident and the loss of his son Beau to cancer in 2015.
He concluded:
"My faith teaches me to care for the least among us, while President Trump seems to only be concerned about his gilded friends. My faith teaches me to welcome the stranger, while President Trump tears families apart. As I've said so many times before, we're in the battle for the soul of our nation, and President Trump's decision today to profane God and to smear my faith in a political attack is a stark reminder of what the stakes of this fight truly are,"
People agreed that Trump's behavior was asinine.
This attack will backfire on Trump in the midwest. Even if some midwesterners don't like Biden, they don't doubt his faith in God and won't respond well to people who attack it. @joebiden's faith is central to who he is in his public and personal life. https://t.co/f7dHJ3Em6a
— Greg Schultz (@schultzohio) August 6, 2020
Joe Biden probably has been to church more times in one year than POTUS has in his entire life.
— . (@KebabKyle) August 6, 2020
Got to fire up that evangelical base by acting in the least Christian manner possible, right? Must be taking pointers from Jerry Falwell, Jr.
— Joseph Hicks (@jrhicksesq) August 6, 2020
NARRATOR: He's really just running out of material at this point... pic.twitter.com/6Uxc99aO48
— JC Callahan™ (@jccallahanATX) August 6, 2020
They soon reminded Trump that his own record on religion was ripe with gaffes.
Says the man who never felt he needed Gods forgiveness. The guy who ran scams and frauds on charities, fake online university etc..
— Jumbo Elliott (@JumboElliott76) August 6, 2020
As Trump fans hear Trump's insanity - a man who hasnt been to church in his adult life says Biden, a devout Catholic, wants to "Hurt the Bible" & is "against God"
If you dont see he thinks youre stupid & dont even understand your own religion -he's right. You are. And you dont.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) August 6, 2020
The last time he went to church was for a photo op after tear gassing peaceful protestors. Before that was in January 2017 for his inauguration.
— Carlos Saldana (@Carlos_Saldana) August 6, 2020
Strange how Trump & Friends talk plenty about God, but absolutely nothing about Jesus. Nothing.
— Joshua Stone (@JoshuaS1979) August 6, 2020
Could just have said: Biden is a practicing Catholic. Trump thinks he's God.
— Benevolus P. Franklin (@BenevolusPF) August 6, 2020
The day Trump made these claims, Biden was delivering remarks to the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
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