The latest media-generated Trump scandal will likely have the same impact on the president’s political fortunes as the stunning revelation that he doesn’t pay more income tax than he owes. This time it’s The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins claiming that Trump “mocks his Christian supporters” behind their backs and speaks with “cynicism and contempt” about religion. This would be mostly irrelevant even if it were true, as I’ll soon explain, but the specific examples provided in the article do not live up to the headline’s hype.
We are first regaled with a tale of Trump mocking millionaire prosperity preacher Creflo Dollar after the pastor tried to raise $60 million for a private jet. Trump allegedly called it a “scam,” said that Dollar is “full of sh*t,” and then added, “they’re all hustlers.” We aren’t told who the “all” is in that context, but it seems safe to conclude that he was referring to the sorts of preachers who fly around in private jets. Assuming that disgraced and currently imprisoned Michael Cohen — the source of this anecdote — can be trusted here (a dubious assumption to say the least), there is nothing objectionable about any of it. Creflo Dollar is indeed a hustler who is indeed full of sh*t. I believe I can speak for a great many Christians in America, except those credulous saps who actually donated to his private jet fundraiser, and say that we agree with Trump’s assessment, though some of us would not phrase it in exactly the same way.
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