Liberty U President Jerry Falwell, Jr. Invokes Jesus. Martin Luther King and His Father in Introducing Trump on Campus

Donald Trump spoke to a massive audience at Liberty University today in Lynchburg, West Virginia.

President Jerry Falwell, Jr. gave Trump a wonderful introduction to the students and staff today at Liberty.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump received a full-throated welcome from Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on Monday during a speech at the Christian college in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The Christian Post reported:

Falwell invoked the character of Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr. and his own father in a glowing introduction of the billionaire real estate baron to a record crowd at the Lynchburg, Virginia campus of the Christian college where the address took place. He was able to do support Trump, he said, because they had become fast friends after the businessman’s visit to the campus in 2012.

“As our friendship has grown, so has my admiration for Mr. Trump. Whenever we were in New York we were asked to drop by and say hello at the Trump Tower on 5th Avenue. Mr. Trump is loyal to his friends even new friends like us,” he said before adding a caveat to his praise. “As you know Liberty University does not support or oppose candidates for public office and Mr. Trump’s appearance here should not be interpreted by any as an endorsement by Liberty.”

He went on however to tout finer qualities of Mr. Trump beyond the brash and unapologetic reputation he has developed in the media, such as that time the Republic frontrunner donated $100,000 to a Christian ministry project or paid off the home mortgage of a couple who had stopped to help him when his vehicle broke down on a deserted highway.

“Matthew 7:16 tells us that by their fruits you shall know them. Donald Trump’s life has borne fruit, fruit that has provided jobs to multitudes of people in addition to the many he has helped with his generosity. I’ve met three of his children in the last week and I can tell you they are personable, kind, humble and successful in their family lives and in their vocations. A real credit to their father and to the Trump family,” said Falwell.

“I have seen firsthand that his staff loves him and is loyal to him because of his servant leadership. In my opinion Donald Trump lives a life of loving and helping others as Jesus taught in the great commandment,” he continued.

Falwell then warned the audience of conflating Christian values and secular leadership roles to the point of mutual exclusivity.

“My father was criticized in the early 1980s for supporting Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter for president because Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor who had been divorced and remarried and Jimmy Carter was a Southern Baptist Sunday School teacher,” he said.

My father proudly replied that Jesus pointed out that we are all sinners, every one of us and when Jesus said surrender unto Caesar what is due to Caesar, that meant we out to be good citizens — voting, acting in the political process, serving in our armed forces if necessary — and while Jesus never told us who to vote for he gave us all common sense to choose the best leaders and the ability to choose the best leaders,” Falwell noted.

“My dad explained that when he walked into the voting booth, he wasn’t electing a Sunday school teacher or a pastor or even a president who shared his theological belief. He was electing the president of the United States and the talents and abilities and experience required to lead a nation might not always line up with what was needed to run a church or a congregation. After all, Jimmy Carter was a great Sunday school teacher but look what happened to our nation with him in the presidency. Sorry,” he quipped quickly.

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Jim Hoft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016. In 2023, The Gateway Pundit received the Most Trusted Print Media Award at the American Liberty Awards.

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