President Donald Trump said Wednesday that religious bigotry has become a crisis in the United States.
“I think it’s a crisis for our country,” Trump said in response to a question from The Daily Caller referencing attacks on religious freedom.
These include attacks by liberals on second lady Karen Pence for teaching art at a Christian school in Virginia, evidence of anti-Semitism within the leadership of the Women’s March, and virulent criticism of Covington Catholic High School students who encountered a Native American activist near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.
Trump also referred to Democrats’ proposal to remove the phrase “so help me God” from the oath taken by witnesses before the House Committee on Natural Resources.
“I said, ‘Where are we going?’” Trump told The Daily Caller in the interview. “I think it’s a terrible thing for our country and I think it’s certainly a terrible thing for the Democrats, because I don’t think they’re going to be able to get away with it.”
Trump also called out Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat and pediatric neurologist, for defending a bill to legalize abortion right up to birth, sponsored by state Delegate Kathy Tran, a Democrat.
“I’m surprised that he did that,” Trump said of Northam’s reconfirming his support of the abortion bill Wednesday. “I’ve met him a number of times. I’m surprised that he said that.”
VA gov on abortion this morning:
“If a mother is in labor…the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians & mother” pic.twitter.com/cc15pVLjIQ
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 30, 2019
“I watched that this morning. I watched the person testifying [Tran] and I felt it was terrible,” Trump said, adding that he thinks the pro-life movement will grow as a result of Democrats’ stand on the issue of life.
Heartbreaking… This isn’t in New York, this isn’t in California, this happened just this week right here in Virginia. @VAHouseDems proposed legislation to provide abortions up to just seconds before that precious child takes their first breath. Watch for yourself. pic.twitter.com/AxgPVyI6kU
— VA House GOP (@vahousegop) January 29, 2019
“I think this is going to lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it’s never been lifted before,” Trump said, adding of recent opinion polls:
And the pro-life movement is very much a 50-50, it’s a very 50-50 issue. Actually it’s gained a point or two over the years, but it’s been very much 49-51 and vice versa. I think this really will lift up the issue, because people have never thought of it in those terms. Because she [Tran] actually said, you know, [abortion should be permitted] the day of, virtually the day of birth.
