White evangelical Christians are some of President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters, with 81 percent voting for Trump in the 2016 election.
In those four years, Trump—despite thousands of lies, insults, and even calls to violence—has enjoyed a sort of deification from white evangelicals, many of whom believe he was sent by God and represents their most strongly held Christian values.
The Trump family has worked to harness that dedication during the 2020 campaign, with Trump himself saying that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would "hurt God" if elected President.
One of the President's sons—Eric Trump—went even further in his idolatry during a recent interview with a North Dakota radio station.
Listen below.
Here's the audio of Eric Trump listing "he literally saved Christianity" as one of his father's accomplishments in office. pic.twitter.com/uJG6YUPAbq
— andrew kaczynski🤔 (@KFILE) October 6, 2020
Eric Trump said:
"He literally saved Christianity, there's a war on faith in this country by the other side. I mean, the Democratic Party, the far left, has become the party of the quote-unquote atheist, they want to attack Christianity, they want to close churches."
It's unclear how the President—whose tenure, to critics, is defined by porn star payoffs and pugilistic pettiness—saved Christianity, especially from the likes of Biden, who is a practicing Catholic.
Eric Trump's wild assertion had Twitter guffawing.
he got Covid for our sins https://t.co/zjxgkerLpc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 6, 2020
step aside jesus https://t.co/vwxAXXCE0D
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) October 6, 2020
Yes, Eric is the dumbest https://t.co/xAD0KGSXHN
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) October 6, 2020
Imagine believing in a God who is so weak and feckless that He requires Donald Trump to save Him. https://t.co/r2LHaP96YT
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) October 6, 2020
So I guess you'd say he's their “savior" or something? https://t.co/59qoQHRPTE
— A.R. Moxon—Preorder The Revisionaries In Paperback (@JuliusGoat) October 6, 2020
That would be news to a number of Churches and religions https://t.co/huDsMzLfln
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) October 6, 2020
Some Christians unequivocally disagreed.
As a Christian, and a minister at that, this is news to me. https://t.co/2acXDSd8tq
— Kevin Slusher (@kevinslusher) October 6, 2020
As a Christian, I am extremely confused by this sentiment. Was it when he tear gassed peaceful protesters to exploit a church and Bible for a repugnant photo op? Was that when he “saved" our faith? https://t.co/RzTue9Fg8C
— Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) October 6, 2020
This statement is revolting to me, as a Christian. https://t.co/8rK6m2dDMt
— MeadowLocke (@MeadowLocke) October 6, 2020
In the past, Trump has been unable to name a verse from the Bible, which he calls his favorite book. He's also said he doesn't ask for forgiveness.
