Former president Donald Trump, who was recently found liable for the second time for defaming E Jean Carroll over his sexual assault of her, shared an article that called him “un-Christian” for his attack on her and his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.
On Truth Social, Mr Trump shared a Milwaukee Independent article called “A MAGA Idol: Why Trump’s Un-Christian Behavior Makes Him A Hero To Conservative Christians.”
The article features an image of the former president holding a Bible in front of St John’s Parish House with his eyes closed.
“For eight years, Donald Trump has managed to secure the support of many evangelical and conservative Christians despite behavior that often seemed at odds with teachings espoused by Christ in the Gospels,” the article began.
The piece noted that he is the 2024 GOP frontrunner “even after he recently was found liable for sexually abusing a New York woman in 1996 and was indicted in a criminal case related to hush money payments to a porn actress.”
Mr Trump was found liable — again — for defaming the former Elle columnist; he is also awaiting trial in the Manhattan case connected to hush money payments made to Ms Daniels during his 2016 campaign, which is set to start in March.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of an evangelical megachurch in Dallas, told the outlet that he has been a supporter of Mr Trump since his 2016 campaign. He weighed in on why fellow “conservative Christians” continue to support the former president — in spite of his aforementioned “un-Christian behaviour.”
Trump was pictured with a Bible outside St John’s Parish House in 2020 in what many observers condemned as a stunt— (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
“Conservative Christians continue to overwhelmingly support Donald Trump because of his biblical policies, not his personal piety,” Mr Jeffress said. “They are smart enough to know the difference between choosing a president and choosing a pastor.”
“In many ways, Christians feel like they are in an existential cultural war between good and evil, and they want a warrior like Donald Trump who can win,” the Dallas pastor added.
Others have taken a different approach, separating the values the president touts politically and the ones has exhibited personally. “President Trump has stood up for the values that we hold dear,” Brad Sherman, a pastor from Williamsburg, Iowa, told the Associated Press in April. “Then we need to pray for him that his personal life comes in line with that.”
The article — again, which Mr Trump shared — also pointed out that a number of Christian conservatives are looking for alternatives to the former president in the upcoming election. Rev Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who supported Mr Trump in the last election, according to the Michigan Independent, is now looking to support other candidates.
“Christians begin with the clear biblical truth that no sinful human being has a perfect character, but even as we grade presidents on something of a curve, some stand out as particularly lacking in character,” Rev Mohler said. “Donald J. Trump is certainly one of those presidents.”
“I do not want Donald J. Trump to be the 2024 Republican nominee,” he continued. “There is simply too much baggage … A statesman would realize that fact and make way for someone else to lead. That does not appear likely.”
