While the pandemic has killed over 170,000 Americans, President Donald Trump said in a recent speech that the virus is actually God's way of "testing [him.]"
During his remarks in Mankato, Minnesota, Trump made falseclaims about the pre-pandemic economy and said God was now telling him to do it again.
"We built the greatest economy in the history of the world, and now I have to do it again."
"You know what that is? That's God testing me. He said, 'You know, you did it once.' And I said, 'Did I do a great job, God? I'm the only one that could do it.'''
President Trump on rebuilding the economy after the Pandemic: "That's God Testing me" https://t.co/AWeTxCYqdm— Benny (@Benny) 1597692435.0
According to Trump, the pandemic is God's punishment for his arrogance.
As the audience laughed, Trump said:
"[God] said, 'That, you shouldn't say. Now we're going to have you do it again.'"
"I said, 'OK, I agree. You got me.' But I did it once. And now I'm doing it again."
Bow down and worship him. He really is God's chosen one. Trump Brags COVID Is God Testing His 'Greatness'… https://t.co/mpbRVItHuL— StridentConservative (@StridentConservative) 1597769522.0
But Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, said that Trump's religious analysis "lacked spiritual maturity."
Campbell compared Trump's trials to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, saying:
"It's not that God does this unto me, but rather we see that time in Gethsemane as the story of Jesus accepting the consequences of his being a prophetic leader and his willingness to be faithful to the call of being a prophetic leader."
"...It's not like God is doing it to him, it's the consequences of his choices. He evidences no concern for the suffering of people. That makes it a very un-Christian statement, in my view."
Twitter was also pretty unimpressed by Trump's invocation of God's will.
Trump saying he created the greatest economy in the world and now God is testing him by having him rebuild it. Can't. Stop. Laughing.— Rich Engstrom (@Rich Engstrom) 1597755977.0
Many online guessed what God actually testing Trump would look like.
God to Trump: “So you think I’m testing you with the pandemic? You can’t even pass a test of basic humanity. Your g… https://t.co/DVQgLKulbW— Ed Hull (@Ed Hull) 1597751910.0
Fun Fact: @realDonaldTrump said, “God is testing me “, when it comes to coronavirus. God says, “Donnie, the test is over. You failed.”— Mark D. Kimball (@Mark D. Kimball) 1597764563.0
The true test of Trump's response to the virus happened back in the early spring, when he was given the opportunity to take decisive action and instead downplayed the danger of the pandemic.
I didn’t think I could be further shocked by @realDonaldTrump ‘s narcissism. Unfortunately I was wrong. The pandemi… https://t.co/YWOV7aKzIX— Charles Leonard (@Charles Leonard) 1597759379.0
8/17 #TrumpFails Trump claims the coronavirus, which has killed 775,000 people, is god's way of testing him for bui… https://t.co/EmmgFSZS3z— Eric Ernst (@Eric Ernst) 1597735923.0