>> BAD START TO SAY THE LEAST. NEXT BLOCK WE BRING IN STEVE
KORNACKI TO BREAK IT ALL DOWN.
RIGHT NOW BACK TO THE
PRESIDENT’S VICTORY LAP
YESTERDAY WHICH STARTED AT THE
NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST.
CONSERVATIVE WRITER AND THOUGHT
LEADER ARTHUR BROOKS SPOKE RIGHT
BEFORE THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE
TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST TO
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
A MESSAGE THE PRESIDENT SAID HE
DOESN’T AGREE WITH.
>> ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU THE
STRENGTH TO DO THIS HARD THING.
TO GO AGAINST YOUR HUMAN NATURE
TO FOLLOW JESUS’ TEACHING.
YOU BELIEVE JEES’SSUS’ TEACHING,
TOO, TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
DOES GOD TO TAKE POLITICAL
CONTEMPT FROM YOUR HEART AND
SOMETIMES WHEN IT’S JUST TOO
HARD, ASK GOD TO HELP YOU FAKE
IT.
IT. >> I DON’T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH
YOU.
YOU. BUT I DON’T KNOW IF ARTHUR’S
GOING TO LIKE WHAT I’M GOING TO
SAY.
SAY. I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WHO USE
THEIR FAITH AS JUSTIFICATION FOR
DOING WHAT THEY KNOW IS WRONG.
NOR DO I LIKE PEOPLE WHOM SAY, I
PRAY FOR YOU.
WHEN THEY KNOW THAT THAT’S NOT
SO.
SO. >> WE DID A PRAYER BREAKFAST
THIS MORNING AND I THOUGHT THAT
WAS REALLY GOOD.
IP HAD NANCY PELOSI SITTING FOUR
SEATS AWAY AND I’M SAYING THINGS
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULDN’T
HAVE SAID, BUT I MEANT
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. I MEANT EVERY WORD OF IT.
>> THEY’RE VICIOUS AND MEAN.
VICIOUS.
VICIOUS. THESE PEOPLE ARE VICIOUS.
ADAM SCHIFF IS A VICIOUS,
HORRIBLE PERSON.
HORRIBLE PERSON. NANCY PELOSI IS A HORRIBLE
PERSON.
PERSON. AND SHE WANTED TO IMPEACH A LONG
TIME AGO WHEN SHE SAID, I PRAY
FOR THE PRESIDENT, I PRAY FOR
THE PRESIDENT, SHE DOESN’T
PRAY -- SHE MAY PRAY BUT SHE
PRAYS FOR THE OPPOSITE, BUT I
DOUBT SHE PRAYS AT ALL AND THESE
ARE VICIOUS PEOPLE.
>> YOU KNOW, EVANGELICALS,
ANYBODY THAT’S GROWN UP IN A
CHURCH, EVANGELICAL CHURCH,
CATHOLIC CHURCH, CHRISTIAN
CHURCH, UNDERSTANDS THE
BLASPHEMY THERE.
BLASPHEMY THERE. THEY REALLY DO.
YOU HAD DONALD TRUMP FIRST OF
ALL SAYING, I DON’T AGREE WITH
YOU, ARTHUR.
YOU, ARTHUR. WELL, IT WASN’T ARTHUR HE WAS
DISAGREEING WITH.
DISAGREEING WITH. IT WAS THE WORDS OF JESUS
CHRIST.
CHRIST. HE WAS DISAGREEING WITH.
BUT THIS IS A MAN, AND -- YOU
KNOW, FRANKLIN GRAHAM, YOU KNOW
THIS.
THIS. THIS IS A MAN THAT HAS SAID HE’S
NEVER HAD TO ASK JESUS CHRIST
FOR FORGIVENESS BEFORE.
THIS IS A MAN WHO NEVER READ THE
BIBLE HIS ENTIRE LIFE.
HE HANDED ME A BIBLE ONE TIME
EARLY FALL OF 2015 HIS MOTHER
GAVE HIM.
GAVE HIM. IT’S OBVIOUS IT HADN’T BEEN
OPENED FOR 40 YEARS.
HE TALKED ABOUT TWO CORINTHIANS,
COULDN’T NAME A SINGLE BOOK IN
THE BIBLE.
THE BIBLE. HE COULDN’T TELL YOU THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NEW AND
OLD TESTAMENT, AND YESTERDAY HE
MOCKED THE WORDS OF JESUS
CHRIST.
CHRIST. NOW, LISTEN, SINCE FRANKLIN
GRAHAM AND JERRY FALWELL JR.,
ROBERT JEFFERIES AND ALL OF
THESE OTHER SO-CALLED RELIGIOUS
LEADERS ARE NOT TELLING THOSE OF
YOU WHO WEREN’T RAISED IN THE
CHURCH WHY IT WAS SO GROTESQUE
FOR PEOPLE AT THE NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST AND IN THE
WHITE HOUSE TO BE LAUGHING AT
DONALD TRUMP MOCKING THE WORDS
OF JESUS CHRIST, LET A TWICE
DIVORCED BACK-SLIDDEN BAPTIST
TELL YOU.
TELL YOU. LET ME READ YOU THE WORDS THAT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES AS A NATIONAL PRAYER
BREAKFAST WAS MOCKING YESTERDAY.
AND HOW SAD.
THINK ABOUT IT.
HOW SAD.
HOW SAD. NOT A SINGLE EVANGELICAL LEADER
CAME OUT YESTERDAY AND STOOD UP
FOR THE WORDS IN THE GOSPEL OF
JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST. TAKEN FROM THE SERMON ON THE
MOUNT.
MOUNT. THESE AREN’T FOOTNOTES FROM
NAHOOM.
NAHOOM. TAKE IT FROM THE SERMON ON THE
MOUNT, THE CENTERPIECE OF THE
GOSPELS.
GOSPELS. JESUS SAID THIS --
YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID, LOVE
YOUR FRIENDS AND HATE YOUR
ENEMIES, BUT I TELL YOU, LOVE
YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE
WHO PERSECUTE YOU, AND PRAY FOR
THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU, THAT
YOU MAY BE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF
YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.
IF YOU LOVE ONLY THOSE WHO LOVE
YOU, WHAT REWARD WILL YOU GET?
AND DO NOT EVEN EVIL MEN DO
THAT?
THAT? AND IF YOU GREET ONLY YOUR
BROTHERS, ONLY YOUR FRIENDS,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING MORE THAN
OTHERS?
OTHERS? DO NOT EVEN PAGANS DO THAT?
BE PERFECT, THEREFORE, AS ARTHUR
BROOKS WAS SAYING YESTERDAY, AS
YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PERFECT.
IT IS THE CENTERPIECE, JON
MEACHAM, WHETHER YOU WERE A
BELIEVER OR NOT, IT IS THE
CENTERPIECE OF THE GOSPELS OF
JESUS CHRIST TO LOVE YOUR
ENEMIES, TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO
HAVE PERSECUTED YOU, AND TO SHOW
MERCY AND KINDNESS AND MEEKNESS.
THAT SHOULD BE YOUR GOAL, AND
YESTERDAY AT SOMETHING CALLED
THE "NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST,"
DONALD TRUMP MOCKED THE WORDS OF
JESUS CHRIST, AND HE GOT
APPLAUSE FOR IT.
I’M MARKING YESTERDAY AS A DARK
DAY, NOT ONLY IN THE HISTORY OF
THIS COUNTRY, BUT IN THE HISTORY
OF THE MODERN EVANGELICAL
MOVEMENT, BECAUSE I HEARD
NOBODY, NOBODY, THAT SUPPORTED
DONALD TRUMP STAND UP FOR THE
WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HERE
I AM, LIKE I SAID, A GUY WHO’S
BEEN DIVORCED TWICE.
A GUY WHO’S A BACK-SLIDDEN
BAPTIST, I’M HAVING TO DO THIS?
WHERE ARE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
OF THE DAY TO DO THIS?
OR TO TALK ABOUT THE GOOD
SAMARITAN?
SAMARITAN? OR TO TALK ABOUT WHY IT IS
UNCHRIST-LIKE TO PUT CHILDREN IN
CAGES?
CAGES? OR TO TALK ABOUT WHY IT’S
UNCHRIST-LIKE TO REWARD THE
RICHEST OF THE RICH WHILE
HURTING THE POOREST OF THE POOR?
WHERE -- ARE -- THESE -- MEN?
>> WELL, ALL RIGHT.
SO -- AT THE TOP TO STIPULATE,
JUDGE NOT LEST YE BE JUDGED.
I’LL BE VERY CAREFUL HERE.
BECAUSE AS YOU SAY, YOU’RE A
BACK-SLIDING BAPTIST.
BACK-SLIDING BAPTIST. I’M AN IMPERFECT EPISCOPALIAN
WHICH IS REDUNDANT.
SO STIPULATE ALL THAT.
>> VERY REDUNDANT.
COME FROM A FAMILY OF
EPISCOPALIANS, JON, SO --
>> MY FATHER WAS THERE ALL THE
TIME.
TIME. I LOVEEPISCOPALIANS SO GO
AHEAD.
AHEAD. >> ONLY SIX OF US LEFT, SO
YOU’LL HELP OUR NUMBERS THERE.
SO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, WHAT IT’S GOING ON WITH
THE EVANGELICAL MOVEMENT IS THAT
THEY’VE REPLACED THE BASIC
THEOLOGICAL VISION OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT, WHICH GREW, OF
COURSE, OUT OF THE HEBREW BIBLE
AND THE STORY OF SALVATION WITH
IDOLATRY OF TEMPLE POWER
DECIDED THAT JUDGES, THAT ACCESS
TO THE HALLS OF POWER, THAT THAT
IS, IN FACT, MORE IMPORTANT THAN
THE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT HARD
WORK OF THE MESSAGE, OF PUTTING
THE MESSAGE INTO ACTION THAT
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT.
THEY’RE VIOLATING A COMMANDMENT
IN THE PSALMS, TO PUT NOT THY
TRUST IN PRITHS SNCES.
THE INITIAL SEPARATION OF THE
WALL BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE
WAS NOT ABOUT INITIALLY
PROTECTING THE STATE FROM THE
CHURCH, BUT THE CHURCH FROM THE
STATE.
STATE. THE ANCIENT THINKERS WORRIED
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. ROGER WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF RHODE
ISLAND, WORRIED ABOUT THIS.
RICHARD HOOKER, THE AN GGLCAN
WORRIED ABOUT THIS.
THEY WERE RIGHT.
LOOKING FOR A MORE VIVID
EXAMPLE, YOU’LL NOT FIND A MORE
VIVID EXAMPLE OF THAT THAN IN
THE EAST ROOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. YOU KNOW, ABIGAIL ADAMS USED TO
HANG HER LAUNDRY IN THE EAST
ROOM AND I DON’T THINK WE’VE
MADE MUCH PROGRESS, GIVEN WHAT
UNFOLDED.
UNFOLDED. I THINK THAT -- THE CENTRAL
POINT OF THE RELIGIOUS, THE ROLE
OF RELIGION IN POLITICS, I
BELIEVE, HAS BEEN NOT TO BE A
DOMINANT FORCE BUT TO BE AN
INFORMING ONE.
INFORMING ONE. ONE.
ONE. GREAT INSIGHTS OF THE AMERICAN
EXPERIMENT.
EXPERIMENT. THAT YOU CAN’T BANISH RELIGION
FROM THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
SO YOU HAVE TO MANAGE IT AND
MARSHAL IT, AND OUR BEST
POLITICAL ERAS HAVE DONE THAT.
AND I WONDER, I WONDER THIS.
TWO THINGS, REALLY.
ONE IS, THE CULTURE THAT TRUMP
EMBODIES AND NOW PERPETUATES IS
THE REASON WE NEED MORE OF THE
RELIGIOUSLY INSPIRED VALUES IN
THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
THE RELIGIOUSLY INSPIRED VALUES
OF GRACE, GENEROSITY, HUMILITY.
I MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS,
WHAT REINHOLD NEEBER CALLED, THE
SAD DUTY OF POLITICS IS TO
ESTABLISH JUSTICE IN A SINFUL
WORLD.
WORLD. THAT WAS THE EPIGRAPH, MIKA IN
JIMMY CARTER’S "WHY NOT THE
BEST?"
BEST?" IN 1976.
IN 1976. >> WOW.
>> WOW. EWE.
EWE. >> IT WAS THE WAY HE STARTED
THAT CAMPAIGN.
THAT CAMPAIGN. AND, REMEMBER, 40 YEARS AGO, 44
YEARS AGO NOW, THE EVANGELICAL
THAT WORD BECAME PROMINENT IN
AMERICAN CULTURE.
AMERICAN CULTURE. NOT BECAUSE OF THE RIGHT, BUT
BECAUSE OF JIMMY CARTER.
HE’S THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THAT AS
A, HELPED BRING THAT AS A FORCE
INTO THE MAINSTREAM OF AMERICAN
POLITICS.
POLITICS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> AFTER WATERGATE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SECOND THING ON THIS, I
THINK, IS -- OUR BEST MOMENT,
ARGUABLY, AS A COUNTRY FROM
ABOLITION FORWARD WAS THE 1960s.
IN THE SENSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS
ACTS, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, THE
END OF JIM CROW.
JIM CROW WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED IN
OUR COMMON, NATIVE REGION, JOE,
WITHOUT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH OFFERED A
CRITIQUE, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES,
THAT FOUND EXPRESSION THROUGH
THE MEANS OF GANDHI, BUT THE
CENTRAL INSIGHT.
CENTRAL INSIGHT. LOOK AT "STRIVE TOWARDS
FREEDOM," THE MARTIN LUTHER KING
STORY, IT IS HOW THE SERMON ON
THE MOUNT REDEEMED AMERICA’S
SENSE.
SENSE. I WONDER IF WE DON’T NEED TO,
WITH JOHN LEWIS, WITH THE GREAT
HEROES OF THAT MOVEMENT, IF WE
DON’T NEED TO RECOVER THIS IDEA
OF A KIND OF CHRISTIAN-INSPIRED
RESISTANCE TO THIS WILL TO POWER
THAT HAS TAKEN CENTER PLACE IN
OUR POLITICS?
OUR POLITICS? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. YEAH.
YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF
THAT, JON MEACHAM.
PROVING WILLIE GEIST ONCE AGAIN
THAT EPISCOPALIAN HOMILIES ARE
MORE THOUGHTFUL AND LONGER THAN
FIERY BAPTIST --
>> I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
WHERE DO CRANKY JEWS COME INTO
ALL THIS?
ALL THIS? >> I’M GETTING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
>> IT STARTED IN LEVITICUS.
>> EVERYTHING STARTED IN
LEVITICUS, OF COURSE.
SO, DONNY, NOBODY’S ASKING
DONALD TRUMP TO DRAG JESUS INTO
THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? AND THIS ISN’T EVEN ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP AND JESUS.
THIS IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE
LAUGHING AT THIS PRESIDENT WHILE
HE IS MOCKING THE GOSPEL OF
JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST. AND, AGAIN -- THEY’RE FREE TO DO
WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO.
>> MIGHT HAVE BEEN NERVOUS
LAUGHTER.
LAUGHTER. >> I’M LOOKING AT THE
EVANGELICAL LEADERS WHO HAVE YET
TO, IF NOT CALL HIM OUT, GENTLY
CORRECT HIM FOR THE GUIDANCE OF
THEIR OWN FOLLOWERS!
AND THAT IS THE SPIRITUAL --
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE TEMPORAL.
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SEKCULARSEC
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
INSIDE OF THAT WHITE HOUSE THAT
IS A STAIN ON AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY.
DEMOCRACY. AGAIN, I’M NOT BEING
MELODRAMATIC.
MELODRAMATIC. IT IS A STAIN.
NOT ON DONALD TRUMP.
HE IS ALREADY STAINED.
HE IS FOREVER STARNINED.
IT IS A STAIN ON THOSE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO SAT IN THERE KNOWING
THAT WHAT MITT ROMNEY SAID WAS
RIGHT.
RIGHT. KNOWING THAT HALF OF WHAT LAMAR
ALEXANDER SAID WAS RIGHT,
KNOWING WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES WAS WRONG AND
YET THEY STOOD THERE LIKE SCARED
LITTLE CHILDREN JUST HOPING THE
PRESIDENT WOULD CALL THEIR NAME
OUT, AND ISN’T THAT CUTE?
I HOPE THEY ENJOYED YESTERDAY,
BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY BAD DAY.
NOT ONLY FOR THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, BUT FOR THIS
CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLICAN UK.
>> JOE, REMINDED ME OF THE
EQUALLY PATHETIC DAY IN THE, IN
THE OVAL -- NOT THE OVAL HOUSE.
IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WHEN THEY
WENT AROUND THE ROOM AND ALL
KIND OF BOWED THEIR HEADS TO
THEIR FEARLESS LEADER.
IT’S -- IT’S SO IRONIC.
DON TRUMP JR., WHO IS JUST SUCH
A VULGAR HUMAN BEING USED
VULGARITY, THIS WEEK, TO REFER
TO MITT ROMNEY, WHO IS AN
AMERICAN HERO AND MIGHT POINT
THAT WORD TO THOSE PEOPLE IN
THAT ROOM.
THAT ROOM. >> BY THE WAY, DONNY, JUST TO
LET YOU KNOW, IT’S THE SAME
WORD, NOT SAYING IT ON THE AIR,
IT’S THE SAME WORD THAT DONALD
TRUMP USED IN THE "ACCESS
HOLLYWOOD" TAPE WHEN HE SAID YOU
COULD GRAB WOMEN IN A CERTAIN
PLACE AND THEY’D LET YOU DO IT,
BECAUSE YOU WERE FAMOUS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> SO DON JUNIOR USED THAT SAME
WORD THIS WEEK.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. A CLASS ACT.
I STILL AS ONE OF THE GREAT -- I
ALWAYS THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD
PEOPLE FOR A LIVING I KIND OF
TRIED TO PLUG INTO BEHAVIOR.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE HUMANITY,
THE SENSE OF SELF THAT ALLOWS
THEM TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND
TAKE THAT EVEN BROADER AS WE SEE
IN THE GALLUP POLL, 49% OF THIS
COUNTRY, HALF THIS COUNTRY
THINKS TRUMP IS DOING A GOOD
JOB.
JOB. STOP LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AT
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. WE CANNOT LONGER JUST POINT AT
THAT GUY.
THAT GUY. >> NO.
>> NO. >> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> REALLY AT PLAY, THE SOUL OF
WHO WE ARE.
WE CAN’T MAKE IT ABOUT HIM.
NOW IT’S ABOUT US.
NOW IT IS ABOUT US.
>> THE SOUL OF AMERICA.
>> IT’S ON US.
>> SOUL OF AMERICA, YOU MIGHT
SAY.
SAY. JOE, UNDERSCORE THE POINT ABOUT
THE EVANGELICAL LEADERS AND BEN
HOWELL MADE A BOOK AP THIS,
ABOUT THE IMMORAL MAJORITY
EXACTLY WHAT JON DESCRIBED,
TRADING POWER FORECHRISTIAN
VALUES.
VALUES. ON SUNDAY AFTER THE SUPER BOWL
FRANKLIN GRAHAM WROTE A LONG
FACEBOOK POST WHERE HE WAS VERY,
VERY UPSET ABOUT J. LO SHAKING
HER BUTT AND UPSET ABOUT THE
LOSS OF DECENCY IN THIS COUNTRY.
YESTERDAY AFTER THE NATIONAL
PRAYER BREAKFAST, ON TWITTER, ON
SOCIAL MEDIA, HE HEAPED PRAISE
ON DONALD TRUMP AND THANKED HIM
FOR PROTECTING CHRISTIANS IN
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. THERE IS THE HYPOCRISY RIGHT IN
FRONT OF YOU.
WORRIED ABOUT THE LOSS OF
DECENCY WITH J. LO BUT NOT WITH
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. >> AND YET CELEBRATES, MIKA, A
MAN, AND CELEBRATES ACTUALLY
BEING IN THE PRAYER BREAKFAST
WHILE THE MAN IS MOCKING THE
WORDS OF JESUS, AND UNDERCUTTING
ONE OF THE CENTRAL TENANTS OF