Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was widely criticized after she compared "convicted felon" former President Donald Trump to Jesus Christ.
Her words came after Trump became the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes. A New York jury last month found him guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to illegally influence the 2016 election. His sentencing is set for July 11.
Greene claimed Trump has something very important in common with the Messiah, whose flagellation and subsequent crucifixion are recounted in both the canonical and synoptic gospels.
She said:
“The Democrats and the fake news media want to constantly talk about ‘President Trump is a convicted felon.' Well, you want to know something?"
"The man that I worship is also a convicted felon. And he was murdered on a Roman cross.”
You can hear what she said in the video below.
This isn't the first time Greene has compared Trump to Jesus.
On the day of Trump's arrest in New York last April, she told Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN):
“Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served time in prison. Jesus — Jesus was arrested and murdered by the Roman government.”
Greene added that there "have been many people throughout history that have been arrested and persecuted by radical, corrupt governments, and it’s beginning today in New York City." She said she will "always support" Trump, insisting that he did "nothing wrong."
Her latest statements prompted critics to point out just how ridiculous she sounded.
As Trump continues to face legal troubles, including charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 general election results, he and his followers have leaned into the Messiah comparisons while portraying him as a victim of political persecution.
Earlier this year, actor Jon Voight—the star of classics such as Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance—bizarrely compared Trump's treatment to that of Jesus Christ, while quoting the Bible.
Voight expressed fervent support, stating Trump had been "ridiculed" and "destroyed as Jesus. He proclaimed that Trump is “the only man that can destroy the negative propaganda that has been sworn into this office.”
Weeks later, during his civil fraud case, Trump raised eyebrows after sharing on Truth Social a message from a Christian supporter who compared him to Jesus. The supporter thanked Trump "again for taking the arrows intended for us."