Pope Francis, Donald Trump, And Immigration – OpEd

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Earlier today, I commented on how the media like to ask Donald Trump to opine about the pope’s position on immigration, but no one wants to ask Hillary Clinton about the pope’s position on abortion. Now the pope is being asked about Trump’s position on immigration. The pope is making headlines everywhere for saying, “Trump is not a Christian.” But there is much more to this story than what is being reported.

First, the question to the pope inaccurately reflected Trump’s views. Quite frankly, the pope was set up. The reporter told the pope that Trump “wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, thus separating families.” That is patently false. On August 16, 2015, Chuck Todd, on “Meet the Press,” asked Trump, “You’re going to split up families. You’re going to deport children?” To which Trump said, “Chuck—no, no. No, we’re going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together.” When asked where they would go, Trump said, “We will work with them.” So the pope was misled.

Second, after misrepresenting what Trump said, the reporter asked the pope “if an American Catholic can vote for someone like this.” This is rather amazing: Do some in the media now want the pope to tell Catholics who to vote for!

Third, the pope, unlike the media, was totally fair to Trump. He said, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian.” (My italic.) He added that “I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that…and in this I give the benefit of the doubt.” (My italics.)

In fact, Trump’s official position on immigration lists three principles: “A nation without borders is not a nation”; “A nation without laws is not a nation”; “A nation that does not serve its own citizens is not a nation.” The last two principles are never mentioned by the media, thus do they distort Trump’s thinking. The bias, which is as strong on the right as it is on the left, is astounding.

William Donohue

William Donohue is the current president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights in the United States, and has held that position since 1993.

2 thoughts on “Pope Francis, Donald Trump, And Immigration – OpEd

  • February 19, 2016 at 2:18 am
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    I totally agree that the “pope was set up.”
    How rude to draw the pontiff into such a silly position of commenting. The draw out of the comment was a poor media set up.
    We can reasonably agree that of course the pope will say that making a bridge between groups is better than a wall – certainly! What else can the pope say?
    The horror on my part is that the media twisted the popes’ words to benefit a derision of a political candidate. Shame on them.

    Reply
  • February 19, 2016 at 2:28 am
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    Excuse me? I have heard this story before. In our church we call our president by using a capitol P, President Musnon. One of the first things I noticed is that while all other articles use a capitol P as is the first letter of Pope, out of respect for the mans benevolence and compassion, not to mention out of recognition as being the leader of the second largest church on the face of the earth, you my dear Mr. Donohue, did not. Secondly it is obvious you, your self do not like the Pope while you support the contention that somehow, some way poor little scared to death, earth shattered Trump was somehow victimized by the Pope’s words. The Pope in fact would have said those same words about anyone who metaphorically said they wanted to harm the innocent, among the criminals to serve an end. I remember when Mitt Romney ran for the job, our church issued an edit that it could not tell us who to vote for, but to vote our conscious. We all understood what he meant without saying it. If I were a Catholic, which I am not, I would have been offended by Trumps words and actions, which I am without being religiously partial. Trump is a bully, no better than a school bully, he is a sexist as is clear about his remarks about women and their bodies and monthly functions. He lies with the big dogs, as much and perhaps more than the others and believes his money can buy the Presidency. I grew up in Washington D.C., I know many politicians and if there is one thing I know for certain, that is any politician can promise you the moon when running for office but once in that seat of power, it is never you and you alone who governs this big country of ours. I have lived long enough to know, it is not about the people anymore, if it ever was. We are lucky to have fragments of our original country in the new age of technology, global communication and super war toys. I pray for us all every day. I for one do not care for Trump or his banty ways, but as a Christian, I will always forgive him and I will always turn the other cheek. Somewhere inside that man is a decent man, even if he can not manifest that of himself anymore.

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