Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough mocked former President Donald Trump after Trump spoke about his "relationship with God" during a Fox News interview.
Approximately 80% of white evangelicals threw their support behind Trump during the 2016 general election, and a comparable percentage did so again in 2020, despite his loss to President Joe Biden.
Many justified their votes by framing the decision as a selection between Trump, who promised to pursue objectives such as limiting abortion access, and a Democratic candidate who wanted to preserve the right to abortion care.
But Trump has never appeared comfortable with demonstrating any faith tradition himself, so it was puzzling that he was asked about his "relationship with God" on a recent episode of Fox and Friends:
"You've been faced with so much adversity and persecution for years. What's your relationship with God like and how do you pray?"
Trump issued the sort of non-response response we've come to expect from him on the issue:
“OK, so I think it is good. I do very well with the evangelicals. I love the evangelicals. And I have more people saying they pray for me ― I can’t even believe it."
"They are so committed, and they are so believing. They say, ‘Sir, you’re going to be OK. I pray for you every night.’ I mean, everybody, almost ― I can’t say everybody, but almost everybody that sees me, they say it.”
Scarborough could barely control his laughter after playing the clip and mocked Trump as "beyond parody" in remarks on his program:
"I mean, seriously, just go to church once, right? Just get the crib notes, right? I can write it out for you on an index card... When somebody asks you what your relationship is with God, don’t go, ‘Well, evangelicals vote for me.’ They say, ‘Sir, we vote for you.’” ...
"[Trump] was asked in 2016 if he believes in God, if he prays for forgiveness and he said, 'Well, I've never done anything where I've had to ask God for forgiveness.' I find it fascinating. He won't answer that question. He didn't answer that question."
“It’s just parody. For people though, he's a man of God, he's Jesus, he's Jesus in the flesh. Comparing him to Jesus on the cross like some evangelicals, some leaders did? It's just beyond parody."
He added:
"It's just sad."
You can hear what Scarborough said in the video below.
Despite what he may attempt to portray, Trump is not a religious man.
While still in office in 2020, he infamously staged a photo opportunity holding a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. as police officers used tear gas on peaceful racial justice demonstrators who'd convened following the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.
The strong reaction ensued when U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops, around 6:30 p.m. ET on June 1, 2020, began deploying tear gas and flash bangs against protesters peacefully demonstrating around Lafayette Square next to the White House, causing the crowd to disperse.
According to sources cited by NBC News, Trump's impromptu walk to the church was his own idea, driven by a desire for a specific visual impact.
Given these facts, people were quick to join Scarborough in mocking the ridiculous exchange.
Trump has continued to grift his evangelical supporters with different initiatives that critics and analysts say only exist so he can pay his mounting legal bills.
Trump was called out recently for encouraging his supporters to buy a "God Bless the USA Bible" ahead of Easter, even claiming it's his "favorite book." He urged his supporters to purchase the Bible, priced at $59.99, as a way to celebrate Holy Week leading up to Easter. He suggested the initiative aims to promote prayer and religious reflection, emphasizing the importance of having a Bible in every American home.
The "God Bless the USA Bible," touted as "the only Bible endorsed by President Trump," features large print and includes additional patriotic documents such as the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. It also incorporates handwritten lyrics from country singer Lee Greenwood's renowned song.
The former president was also widely mocked earlier this year after sharing an AI-generated image of himself praying in a church with a major flaw—the image showed him with six fingers on his hand.
