Donald Trump fiercely attacked President Joe Biden, accusing his government of orchestrating Soviet-style persecution against Catholics in the United States.
In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump leveled dubious and contentious allegations, asserting that Biden’s presidency has unleashed unprecedented persecution against Christians and Americans of faith.
Singling out Catholics, Trump claimed that the Biden administration’s actions were akin to targeting the Catholic community and suggested that evangelical Christians could also be under surveillance. He alleged that the FBI was planning to deploy undercover spies within Catholic churches, drawing parallels to tactics employed during the Soviet Union era.
Trump’s claims were founded on a leaked FBI memo that some conservatives interpreted as evidence of the Justice Department singling out Catholics as potential domestic terrorists.
However, Attorney General Merrick Garland vehemently refuted these accusations, labeling them as outrageous and emphasizing that the FBI wasn’t targeting Catholics.
Controversy Over Trump’s Allegations
Moreover, Trump’s reference to arrests of pro-life activists seemed to echo a narrative spun by conservatives, misrepresenting actions against alleged extremists as a purported assault on the religious right, a point highlighted by HuffPost in 2022. Notably, one of the individuals mentioned, Mark Houck, was acquitted of federal charges in January 2023.
In his impassioned plea, Trump urged Catholics to refrain from supporting Biden or any Democratic candidate. He pledged to establish a task force aimed at combating what he termed as anti-Christian bias, indicating a comprehensive review of government agencies, universities, and major corporations allegedly promoting anti-Christian diversity programs.
This fervent rhetoric isn’t new from Trump, who in 2021 lamented losing support from the
Catholic electorate during the 2020 election, expressing surprise at not garnering more backing from this demographic despite his perceived efforts on their behalf.
Trump’s recent allegations against the Biden administration have stirred controversy and drawn sharp rebuttals, showcasing the heightened political tension in the United States.
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