Trump Privately Urges Pastors to Help Him From the Pulpit in Midterms

[Julian Englis]

Source: NY Times

In remarks to evangelical ministers in the White House State Dining Room on Monday night, President Trump spoke in high-minded tones about religious liberty, abortion and youth unemployment. He noted a John Adams quote carved into the room’s fireplace: “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house.”

But once reporters and television cameras were ushered out of the room, Mr. Trump turned to the more pragmatic concerns of how evangelical leaders can use their pulpits to help Republicans win in the midterm elections, according to an audiotape of his remarks provided to The New York Times by someone who attended the event.

“I just ask you to go out and make sure all of your people vote,” Mr. Trump told the group of about 100 evangelical ministers. “Because if they don’t — it’s Nov. 6 — if they don’t vote we’re going to have a miserable two years and we’re going to have, frankly, a very hard period of time because then it just gets to be one election — you’re one election away from losing everything you’ve got.”

Mr. Trump spent most of his private remarks to the group bragging about having gotten “rid of” the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 provision of tax law that threatened religious organizations, like churches, with the loss of tax-exempt status if they endorse or oppose political candidates.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/politics/trump-evangelical-pastors-election.html

[Initech]

1. Time for them to lose their tax exempt status!

If churches want to preach from the pulpit, they pay. If they don't, then shut the fuck up!

[True Blue American]

5. Churches are losing members by the millions.

They did that against Obama.

Carry on.

[SamKnause]

2. Fucking churches need to be taxed out of existence.

[rockfordfile]

3. How un-American.

[dchill]

41. Trumpotypical.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. In closed-door meeting, Trump told Christian leaders he got rid of a law. He didn't.

In closed-door meeting, Trump told Christian leaders he got rid of a law. He didn't.

David Fahrenthold Retweeted:

The most remarkable part of Trump's closed-door meeting with evangelical leaders is that he spent most of his time bragging that he's gotten rid of the Johnson Amendment, which they, of all people, know he has not gotten rid of.

Link to tweet

No.

The most important part of his meeting is his loud dog whistling to his base to get ready to use force to keep him in office by creating an enemy of the far-Left he falsely claims will use violence to overthrow him.

Link to tweet

"We were in the 68th floor of Trump Tower and we looked down on the sidewalks and there were thousands and thousands of people. They looked like ants, little people going all over — boom, boom, boom."

Link to tweet

In closed-door meeting, Trump told Christian leaders he got rid of a law. He didn't.

According to recorded excerpts of private remarks, he said evangelicals were "one election away from losing everything."

by Aliza Nadi and Ken Dilanian / Aug.28.2018 / 4:00 PM ET

In a closed-door meeting with evangelical leaders Monday night, President Trump repeated his debunked claim that he had gotten "rid of" a law forbidding churches and charitable organizations from endorsing political candidates, according to recorded excerpts reviewed by NBC News. ... In fact, the law remains on the books, after efforts to kill it in Congress last year failed.

But Trump cited this alleged accomplishment as one in a series of gains he has made for his conservative Christian supporters, as he warned "You're one election away from losing everything that you've got," and said their opponents were "violent people" who would overturn these gains "violently." ... Trump addressed the law and the upcoming midterms in private remarks Monday during a dinner with evangelical supporters at the White House after the press left. ... At stake in the November midterms, Trump told the audience, are all the gains he has made for conservative Christians.

"The level of hatred, the level of anger is unbelievable," he said. "Part of it is because of some of the things I've done for you and for me and for my family, but I've done them….This November 6th election is very much a referendum on not only me, it's a referendum on your religion, it's a referendum on free speech and the First Amendment." ... If the GOP loses, he said, "they will overturn everything that we've done and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently. There's violence. When you look at Antifa and you look at some of these groups — these are violent people."
....

Politifact, the nonpartisan fact checking organization, rated Trump's claim that he got rid of the Johnson Amendment "mostly false" when he first made it publicly in July 2017.
....

[True Blue American]

9. Thanks for that.

One more lie.

[Snellius]

6. "There's violence ... these are violent people."

Link to tweet

[Initech]

11. Like this guy!

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10142145026

Killing in the name of JAYSUS...

[CatMor]

7. It's because of evangelical ministers and the phony trump ..

I want nothing to do with religion.

[saidsimplesimon]

8. I know the KJ version of the books.

"You can not serve God and Mammon." Matt. 6-24 "No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one..."

No wonder people are abandoning their faith in religious leaders.

[Leghorn21]

10. Fwiw, churches are no longer tax exempt

Republicans have quietly imposed a new tax on churches, synagogues and other nonprofits, a little-noticed and surprising change that could cost some groups tens of thousands of dollars.

Their recent tax-code rewrite requires churches, hospitals, colleges, orchestras and other historically tax-exempt organizations to begin paying a 21 percent tax on some types of fringe benefits they provide their employees.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/26/republican-tax-law-churches-employees-670362

...but I bet “the right churches” are granted waivers or something

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

27. Their property is still exempt from state and local taxes. Megachurches suck millions from county

coffers in lost property taxes while demanding the same infrastructure, police and fire services the tax-paying citizens get.

Jim Bakker's Heritage USA complex took 2,300 acres off the Ft. Mill, SC, tax rolls. It nearly bankrupted York County.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. This alone should be impeachable.

[The Liberal Lion]

13. So long seperation of church and state, hello Ofglen and Offred

[SWBTATTReg]

18. Curious...liked map but what does it represent and so forth? I can't read the small print...

thanks for any fyi...

[workinclasszero]

20. It's from the book The Handmaid's Tale

[SWBTATTReg]

31. Thanks so much! I'm am going to look at...nt

[workinclasszero]

32. It was also made into a TV series

I think it’s on Hulu if you have that.

[SWBTATTReg]

33. I just might try Hulu for once (trial basis) ... been wanting to try it out...

have Netflix, have wanted to see what's its like (Hulu)...thanks again.

Wow, I haven't watched TV much!

[workinclasszero]

34. You are welcome

Free trial, the price is right

[The Liberal Lion]

21. From the Handmaid's Tale

[SWBTATTReg]

30. Thanks! nt

[workinclasszero]

19. Yup

That’s what Dotard and Putin want.

And those money changing fake preacher/thieves.

[Dave Starsky]

39. I read the book and watched the first season of Handmaid's Tale.

I wasn't aware that the Handmaid's Tale took place in a hypothetical future where nuclear weapons had been deployed.

This must be from the second season of the Hulu show.

[Doodley]

14. Not one minister stood up and said the right thing?

[RussBLib]

15. The Johnson Amendment has not been repealed

Well of course he would lie to the evangelicals. He knows they are gullible AF.

[Initech]

46. And we need to keep it as long as possible!

Because you know they're coming for it. It's the last line of defense between a sane society and the Taliban.

[SWBTATTReg]

16. Help me, cried the beast from his golden throne...

Sounds familiar doesn't it?

[ancianita]

36. Is it from the Book of Revelations?

[SWBTATTReg]

37. Yes...pretty close to it, isn't it? Scary...nt

[ancianita]

40. Do you have a chapter and verse? Because much as I'd like to find it, I can't.

[SWBTATTReg]

44. I couldn't tell you that as much as I'd like to...I read Nostradamus all of the ...

time years ago and this verbiage I see seems eerily familiar...that I've heard about revelations and the many different interpretations of the end times/revelations...and this language hit me about the similarities between what's going on w/ rump and various interpretations of the end times I've read...

Take care...

[hibbing]

17. Vote for this man, the greatest Christian ever n/t

[geretogo]

22. Jesus was against merging church and state . Remember " render unto Ceasar " These phony so called

Christians have their own phony Bibles they go by . May they burn .

[Brother Buzz]

23. Sounds like that jackass just violated the 'Johnson Amendment'

[keithbvadu2]

24. Can pulpits across the nation stand for Trump?

Can pulpits across the nation stand for Trump?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/at-least-trump-gives-ministers-plenty-to-preach-on/2018/08/24/99e39f34-a709-11e8-8fac-12e98c13528d_story.html?utm_term=.4b1eaf680d45&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

[ancianita]

25. Know why? Boss Putin told him to do it. Putin and the Eastern Orthodox Church are thick as thieves.

[catrose]

26. Is it legal for him to do that?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

42. Nope. Campaigning & coordinating political moves in the White House w supposedly apolitical churches

[catrose]

47. Dang! If only he'd stop committing crimes long enough for Mueller to wrap up his investigation.

[callous taoboy]

28. And help they will. They did

last time. My colleague's pastor told her to vote for Trump, she did, and now she regrets it big-time.

[truthisfreedom]

29. Tax them double the normal rate.

They want to harm this country using putin’s plant.

[JTOL]

35. Did Trump ask pastors to commit a felony

violation of FEC regs. He gets something of value and neither party reports the contribution.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

38. And the Lord thy God said

"Grab 'em by the pussy"

Do these fuckheads ever read their Bible?

[Gothmog]

43. Secret recording catches Trump instructing pastors to campaign for Republicans from the pulpit

Link to tweet

[Permanut]

45. So Trump lied to a group of pastors..

Who would ever guess that he would do that?