Jerry Falwell Jr Praises Trump for Twitter Attacks
In a media interview Sunday, the president of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell Jr., defended President Donald Trump's attacks on his opponents on Twitter, calling him a "bold leader" who is willing to "speak his mind."
"The left is melting down," Falwell, an early Trump supporter, said in an interview with Fox News.
"It's incredible to watch how they still haven't gotten over how Donald Trump won and when he hits them back on Twitter, I actually appreciate that," Falwell said, as quoted by The Hill. "We're finally getting back to a bold leader who's willing to speak his mind."
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About a week ago, Trump attacked MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, calling Scarborough "crazy" and Brzezinski "dumb as a rock."
"Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!" the president tweeted.
In an op-ed published in The Washington Post, the co-hosts criticized President Trump for his remarks.
"America's leaders and allies are asking themselves yet again whether this man is fit to be president. We have our doubts, but we are both certain that the man is not mentally equipped to continue watching our show, 'Morning Joe,'" they wrote.
Sunday morning, Trump tweeted a clip showing him punching a guy with the CNN logo covering his face. The clip was modified from a World Wrestling Entertainment show in which he participated.
In response, CNN said, "It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters. Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the President had never done so. Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill, he is involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his."
In May, President Trump delivered the commencement address at Liberty University, telling the graduating class that "in America, we don't worship government, we worship God," and encouraged them not to worry about criticism.
"As long as I am your president, no one is ever going to stop you from practicing your faith," Trump said at the evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia.
"Nothing is easier or more pathetic than being a critic," Trump added in his speech. "The future belongs to the people who follow their heart no matter what the critics say because they truly believe in their vision. … A small group of failed voices who think they know everything and understand everyone want to tell everybody else how to live and what to do and how to think, but you aren't going to let other people tell you what you believe, especially when you know that you're right."
Last May, Falwell defended Trump, saying, "God called King David a man after God's own heart even though he was an adulterer and a murderer."
Explaining his decision to endorse the then Republican nominee, Falwell said, "You have to choose the leader that would make the best king or president and not necessarily someone who would be a good pastor. We're not voting for pastor-in-chief. It means sometimes we have to choose a person who has the qualities to lead and who can protect our country and bring us back to economic vitality, and it might not be the person we call when we need somebody to give us spiritual counsel."
