Ahead of the President's Tuesday visit, Washington Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory released a sharply worded statement criticizing Trump and the shrine for hosting him. While he said he watched live-streams from a selection of megachurches during the coronavirus lockdown, he hasn't attended an in-person service since he declared houses of worship essential. A day later, he did just that by stepping into the White House briefing room and declaring houses of worship essential, using language that appealed directly to evangelicals. So, I'm correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential," he said. Trump has enjoyed strong support among white Christian groups, even when his behavior seemed opposed to their ideals.

Source: CNN June 02, 2020 14:12 UTC