Prominent evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr. proudly posed for a photo with President Donald Trump Friday at Mar-a-Lago, one day after callously predicting “Hiroshima and Nagasaki” for the Democrats in 2020.
Falwell, who has been dogged by scandal allegations, is one of a crew of evangelical leaders rallying around Trump after a scathing editorial about the president last week in Christianity Today.
The publication, founded by Billy Graham and read by 5 million people, called for Trump’s removal for his “profoundly immoral” abuse of office for personal and political gain. The editorial also lashed Trump’s “blackened moral record,” including “lies and slanders” and “immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud.”
But if Falwell was attempting to make a point about evangelical morality and backing Trump, he might have thought twice about evoking the horrific World War II attacks that killed some 200,000 and left thousands of others to suffer for life.
Several Twitter users were appalled that Falwell flippantly referenced the attacks to make a partisan political point — and some linked their comments to the Christianity Today editorial.
Falwell heads Liberty University in Virginia. Associates have complained that he has created a ”culture of fear” at the school, inappropriately discusses his sexuality, has frequented the Miami nightclub scene, and set up financial deals using school funds benefitting family members, Politico reported. One of the deals benefitted a male hotel pool attendant, according to The New York Times. Critics have also complained about his electioneering on Trump’s behalf.
Falwell has denied the allegations, and claims the accusations are part of attempted “coup” at the university.