News
Greg Evans
Mar 22, 2019
If you thought that a lot of mad things were being said in British politics right now, please remember that the United States still exists and Donald Trump is still the president.
Currently, Trump's Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo is visiting the Middle East and was in Jerusalem, Israel on Thursday, where he was interviewed by the Christian Broadcasting Network.
In an odd interview, Pompeo was asked if Trump was the modern-day equivalent of the biblical Queen Esther (who persuaded the king of Persia not to murder the Jewish people) and if his presence in the Middle East will 'save the Jewish people from the nation of Iran?'
Rather than deflecting the question or giving a sensible and considered answer, Pompeo dived in head-first and stated that God's power was 'possibly' at work here.
As a Christian, I certainly believe that's possible.Â
It was remarkable — so we were down in the tunnels where we could see 3,000 years ago, and 2,000 years ago — if I have the history just right — to see the remarkable history of the faith in this place and the work that our administration's done to make sure that this democracy in the Middle East, that this Jewish state remains.
I am confident that the Lord is at work here.
The interview fell on the same date of Purim, the Jewish holiday that celebrates Esther's story, which probably explains why Pompeo was asked such a strange question.
It still doesn't excuse him claiming that there is some sort of divine intervention at play here and the internet was more than happy to make jokes out of Pompeo's quote.
In addition to this, it is being reported that the Trump administration only allowed faith-based media to cover a briefing call about international religious freedom with Pompeo that was held on Monday, prior to his visit to the Middle East.
There have since been claims that this unusual move is somehow connected to Trump's fresh attack on the 'fake news media' which he recently labelled as 'the enemy of the people.'
This isn't the first time that God has been accredited with influencing a president's foreign policy. In 2003, George W. Bush claimed that God told him to 'end the tyranny in Iraq and 'get peace in the Middle East.'
Nabil Shaath, who was the Palestinian foreign minister at the time is quoted as saying:
President Bush said to all of us: 'I am driven with a mission from God'.
God would tell me, 'George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan'.
And I did. And then God would tell me 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq'. And I did.
And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, 'Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East'.
And, by God, I'm gonna do it.
HT The Hill
More: Ocasio-Cortez fires back at Trump after he denies white supremacy is a rising threat
Top 100
The Conversation (0)