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President Donald Trump joined evangelical leaders in a prayer before erroneously bragging that he had done away with the Johnson Amendment and warning that Democrats will resort to violence if they win congressional control in the 2018 midterms. (Photo: @MotherJones/Twitter)
Multiple accounts of a meeting President Donald Trump held with evangelical Christian leaders Monday night revealed that the president warned of "violence" from both Democrats and anti-fascist protesters if Republicans fail to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections.
"They will overturn everything that we've done, and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently," Trump told the leaders, according to NBC News and the New York Times. "There's violence. When you look at antifa, and you look at some of these groups--these are violent people."
\u201cPure fear-mongering by Trump: \nhttps://t.co/cdM9UDjtlV\u201d— John W. Dean (@John W. Dean) 1535502880
Trump was referring to anti-fascist protesters who have counterprotested at white supremacist rallies around the country. While some members of the loosely organized movement have resorted to violence, Democratic leaders have not endorsed the protesters.
On CNN, political analyst Jeffrey Toobin argued that Trump was employing a racist dog-whistle.
"Let's be clear also about what's going on here. The theme here is, 'I'm Donald Trump and I'll protect you from the scary black people,'" Toobin said.
Trump's threats come as numerous polls have shown that Democrats are favored to win control of the House in November.
The president did not elaborate on how or why Democrats would become violent if they were to win control of the House or Senate, but critics condemned his vague threat--especially after Trump himself has explicitly advocated for violence toward his opponents by his own supporters.
\u201cThis is a man who weaponizes fear. \u201cDo as I say or there will be blood in the streets.\u201d It\u2019s the kind of thing crackpot dictators do.\n\nTrump warns evangelicals of 'violence' if GOP loses in the midterms\nhttps://t.co/k3WyuqjGVf\u201d— John Henson (@John Henson) 1535498095
\u201cTrump said if Dems get the House, \u201cthey will overturn everything we've done, quickly and violently ... When you look at some of these groups \u2014 these are violent people.\u201d \n\nRIP \u201cgood people on both sides.\u201d We hardly knew ye. https://t.co/vwVH3pYOMh\u201d— shauna (@shauna) 1535490186
Growing angry at the sight of even a single detractor at his campaign rallies during the 2016 election, Trump advised his supporters to "knock the crap out of" any protesters or hecklers they saw, and frequently ordered security staff to remove anti-Trump attendees, demanding that protesters at a Vermont event be thrown "out into the cold" with their coats confiscated. He also said of one protester at a Las Vegas rally in 2016, "I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell you."
In addition to warning that conservative Christians would face a violent uprising if Republicans lose in the midterms, Trump warned that their religious freedom would immediately come under attack.
"This November 6 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. It's a referendum on so much," the president told the group in the White House State Dining Room.
Trump illustrated his point by boasting that he had gotten "rid of" the Johnson Amendment, the law that prohibits religious organizations from endorsing political candidates--one that he said had "silenced" Christian leaders.
"But now you're not silenced anymore," the president said.
In fact, Trump has only signed an executive order directing the IRS to not aggressively pursue churches that endorse or oppose candidates; the Johnson Amendment still stands and would require congressional action to be repealed.
\u201cThe 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. https://t.co/phRTcS0sZW\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1535487387
\u201cTrump keeps telling conservative clergy he's "gotten rid of" Johnson Amendment keeping them from going total MAGA from the pulpit. He hasn't. Unclear whether this is a case of pure ignorance or a pure lie. https://t.co/WigZaBgFRQ\u201d— Ed Kilgore (@Ed Kilgore) 1535509192
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Multiple accounts of a meeting President Donald Trump held with evangelical Christian leaders Monday night revealed that the president warned of "violence" from both Democrats and anti-fascist protesters if Republicans fail to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections.
"They will overturn everything that we've done, and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently," Trump told the leaders, according to NBC News and the New York Times. "There's violence. When you look at antifa, and you look at some of these groups--these are violent people."
\u201cPure fear-mongering by Trump: \nhttps://t.co/cdM9UDjtlV\u201d— John W. Dean (@John W. Dean) 1535502880
Trump was referring to anti-fascist protesters who have counterprotested at white supremacist rallies around the country. While some members of the loosely organized movement have resorted to violence, Democratic leaders have not endorsed the protesters.
On CNN, political analyst Jeffrey Toobin argued that Trump was employing a racist dog-whistle.
"Let's be clear also about what's going on here. The theme here is, 'I'm Donald Trump and I'll protect you from the scary black people,'" Toobin said.
Trump's threats come as numerous polls have shown that Democrats are favored to win control of the House in November.
The president did not elaborate on how or why Democrats would become violent if they were to win control of the House or Senate, but critics condemned his vague threat--especially after Trump himself has explicitly advocated for violence toward his opponents by his own supporters.
\u201cThis is a man who weaponizes fear. \u201cDo as I say or there will be blood in the streets.\u201d It\u2019s the kind of thing crackpot dictators do.\n\nTrump warns evangelicals of 'violence' if GOP loses in the midterms\nhttps://t.co/k3WyuqjGVf\u201d— John Henson (@John Henson) 1535498095
\u201cTrump said if Dems get the House, \u201cthey will overturn everything we've done, quickly and violently ... When you look at some of these groups \u2014 these are violent people.\u201d \n\nRIP \u201cgood people on both sides.\u201d We hardly knew ye. https://t.co/vwVH3pYOMh\u201d— shauna (@shauna) 1535490186
Growing angry at the sight of even a single detractor at his campaign rallies during the 2016 election, Trump advised his supporters to "knock the crap out of" any protesters or hecklers they saw, and frequently ordered security staff to remove anti-Trump attendees, demanding that protesters at a Vermont event be thrown "out into the cold" with their coats confiscated. He also said of one protester at a Las Vegas rally in 2016, "I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell you."
In addition to warning that conservative Christians would face a violent uprising if Republicans lose in the midterms, Trump warned that their religious freedom would immediately come under attack.
"This November 6 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. It's a referendum on so much," the president told the group in the White House State Dining Room.
Trump illustrated his point by boasting that he had gotten "rid of" the Johnson Amendment, the law that prohibits religious organizations from endorsing political candidates--one that he said had "silenced" Christian leaders.
"But now you're not silenced anymore," the president said.
In fact, Trump has only signed an executive order directing the IRS to not aggressively pursue churches that endorse or oppose candidates; the Johnson Amendment still stands and would require congressional action to be repealed.
\u201cThe 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. https://t.co/phRTcS0sZW\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1535487387
\u201cTrump keeps telling conservative clergy he's "gotten rid of" Johnson Amendment keeping them from going total MAGA from the pulpit. He hasn't. Unclear whether this is a case of pure ignorance or a pure lie. https://t.co/WigZaBgFRQ\u201d— Ed Kilgore (@Ed Kilgore) 1535509192
Multiple accounts of a meeting President Donald Trump held with evangelical Christian leaders Monday night revealed that the president warned of "violence" from both Democrats and anti-fascist protesters if Republicans fail to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections.
"They will overturn everything that we've done, and they'll do it quickly and violently, and violently," Trump told the leaders, according to NBC News and the New York Times. "There's violence. When you look at antifa, and you look at some of these groups--these are violent people."
\u201cPure fear-mongering by Trump: \nhttps://t.co/cdM9UDjtlV\u201d— John W. Dean (@John W. Dean) 1535502880
Trump was referring to anti-fascist protesters who have counterprotested at white supremacist rallies around the country. While some members of the loosely organized movement have resorted to violence, Democratic leaders have not endorsed the protesters.
On CNN, political analyst Jeffrey Toobin argued that Trump was employing a racist dog-whistle.
"Let's be clear also about what's going on here. The theme here is, 'I'm Donald Trump and I'll protect you from the scary black people,'" Toobin said.
Trump's threats come as numerous polls have shown that Democrats are favored to win control of the House in November.
The president did not elaborate on how or why Democrats would become violent if they were to win control of the House or Senate, but critics condemned his vague threat--especially after Trump himself has explicitly advocated for violence toward his opponents by his own supporters.
\u201cThis is a man who weaponizes fear. \u201cDo as I say or there will be blood in the streets.\u201d It\u2019s the kind of thing crackpot dictators do.\n\nTrump warns evangelicals of 'violence' if GOP loses in the midterms\nhttps://t.co/k3WyuqjGVf\u201d— John Henson (@John Henson) 1535498095
\u201cTrump said if Dems get the House, \u201cthey will overturn everything we've done, quickly and violently ... When you look at some of these groups \u2014 these are violent people.\u201d \n\nRIP \u201cgood people on both sides.\u201d We hardly knew ye. https://t.co/vwVH3pYOMh\u201d— shauna (@shauna) 1535490186
Growing angry at the sight of even a single detractor at his campaign rallies during the 2016 election, Trump advised his supporters to "knock the crap out of" any protesters or hecklers they saw, and frequently ordered security staff to remove anti-Trump attendees, demanding that protesters at a Vermont event be thrown "out into the cold" with their coats confiscated. He also said of one protester at a Las Vegas rally in 2016, "I'd like to punch him in the face, I tell you."
In addition to warning that conservative Christians would face a violent uprising if Republicans lose in the midterms, Trump warned that their religious freedom would immediately come under attack.
"This November 6 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. It's a referendum on so much," the president told the group in the White House State Dining Room.
Trump illustrated his point by boasting that he had gotten "rid of" the Johnson Amendment, the law that prohibits religious organizations from endorsing political candidates--one that he said had "silenced" Christian leaders.
"But now you're not silenced anymore," the president said.
In fact, Trump has only signed an executive order directing the IRS to not aggressively pursue churches that endorse or oppose candidates; the Johnson Amendment still stands and would require congressional action to be repealed.
\u201cThe 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. https://t.co/phRTcS0sZW\u201d— Daniel Dale (@Daniel Dale) 1535487387
\u201cTrump keeps telling conservative clergy he's "gotten rid of" Johnson Amendment keeping them from going total MAGA from the pulpit. He hasn't. Unclear whether this is a case of pure ignorance or a pure lie. https://t.co/WigZaBgFRQ\u201d— Ed Kilgore (@Ed Kilgore) 1535509192