Politics - News Analysis

Pope Francis Compares Donald Trump to the Murderous King Herod

Comparing President Donald Trump to a murderous king who tried to kill baby Jesus, Pope Francis offered another recent rebuke of the Trump administration’s border separation policy, according to Breitbart‘s Thomas Williams.

“In other parts there are walls that even separate children from parents,” Francis said, per the report. “Herod comes to mind. Yet for drugs, there’s no wall to keep them out.

“The phenomenon of migration is compounded by war, hunger and a ‘defensive mindset,’ which makes us in a state of fear believe that you can defend yourself only by strengthening borders. At the same time, there is exploitation.”

Pope Francis has been a frequent critic of Trump’s border wall.

“I must admit that I am shocked by some of the narratives I hear in Europe about borders,” the Pope said, per the report. “Populism is gaining strength.

“The phenomenon of refugees has always existed, but today it is better known because of social differences, hunger, political tensions and especially war. For these reasons, migratory movements are intensifying.”

“The Christian tradition has a rich evangelical experience in dealing with the problem of refugees,” he added, per Breitbart. “We also remember the importance of welcoming the foreigner as the Old Testament teaches us.”

Trump has been widely criticized in the mainstream media for allegedly separating children from their parents as families are caught trying to enter the U.S. illegally. He is also well-known for emphasizing the need to stop illegal immigration and has spoken repeatedly about the need to “build a wall” on the U.S. southern border. Trump has repeatedly mentioned stopping the smuggling of drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border in his calls for a wall.

When doing some background fact checking, I wanted to note that Politifact says that while the Pope did mention King Herod, he didn’t mention Donald Trump by name.

From Politifact:

Pope Francis truly referred to King Herod while speaking about the treatment of refugees worldwide. He also mentioned a policy (border walls and the separation of children from their parents) that could reasonably be assumed to be a reference to the United States’ immigration policy. However, Pope Francis did not mention Trump by name. The pope was also asked a question about refugees in Thailand (not the United States) and referred to Herod during a longer answer about how refugees are treated around the world.

However, one could easily deduce the Pope is referring to Trump.

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