Pete Buttigieg is blasted for describing Jesus as ‘a refugee’ in Christmas tweet – just days after presidential candidate unveiled plan to increase the number of asylum seekers admitted to US
- South Ben Mayor Pete Buttigieg referred to Jesus as a ‘refugee’ in a Christmas message he posted on Twitter
- Hundreds of followers hit back, accusing him of both factual inaccuracies and of pushing a political agenda
- Earlier this week, Buttigieg unveiled his immigration plan, which called for an increase of refugees permitted to the United States
- Buttigieg used Biblical language to justify the increasing the annual refugee intake to at least 95,000
- The devout Episcopalian has frequently called out Christian conservatives, accusing them of being ‘hypocritical’ in their support of Trump
- Buttigieg has previously stated that the President displays unchristian characteristics, and that God would never be a Republican in Trump’s mold
Pete Buttigieg has been slammed for describing Jesus as ‘a refugee’ in a Christmas message he posted to his 1.5 million Twitter followers on Wednesday.
The Democratic hopeful, 38, penned the controversial tweet, which read: ‘Today I join millions around the world in celebrating the arrival of divinity on earth, who came into this world not in riches but in poverty, not as a citizen but as a refugee.’
He added: ‘No matter where or how we celebrate, merry Christmas.’
Buttigieg was immediately hit with backlash from hundreds of his followers, many of whom accused him of factual inaccuracy.
Prominent pastor Dr Darrell Scott was one of the first to clap back at Buttigieg, writing: ‘When did you come up with THAT load of crap? Joseph was NOT a poor man, and Jesus did NOT come into this world as a refugee from heaven. Please stop.’
Meanwhile, conservative commentator Matt Walsh wrote: ‘Joseph and Mary went to their ancestral home in Bethlehem for a census. In no sense did Jesus ‘come into this world as a refugee. There’s also no reason to think that Joseph was particularly impoverished. So nothing about this tweet is correct.’
Pete Buttigieg has been slammed for describing Jesus as ‘a refugee’ in a Christmas message he posted to his 1.5 million Twitter followers on Wednesday
The Democratic hopeful, 38, penned the controversial tweet and shared it on Christmas morning
Elsewhere, others accused Buttigieg of cynically trying to politicize the important Christian holiday.
One wrote: ‘Don’t confuse him [Buttigieg] with facts, he has a false narrative to push.’
Another complained that Buttigieg had to ‘make some virtue signaling political message out of Christmas’.
Buttigieg’s tweet came just days after he unveiled an immigration plan that calls for an increase in the number of refugees admitted to the United States.
According to the plan, the South Bend mayor would welcome at least 95,000 refugees every year.
Fox News reports that Buttigieg’s plan even used Biblical language to justify the numbers.
Buttigieg is a practicing Episcopalian who has frequently attacked conservative Christians for their hypocrisy in supporting Donald Trump.
Buttigieg is a practicing Episcopalian who frequently has previously blasted conservative Christians for their alleged hypocrisy. He is pictured at a South Carolina church
Earlier this year, he told Meet The Press: ‘I can’t believe that somebody that was caught writing hush money checks to adult film actresses is somebody they should be lifting up as the kind of person they want to be leading this nation’.
Buttigieg was referring to Trump’s alleged payoffs to Stormy Daniels – a porn star with whom he reportedly conducted an affair.
Buttigieg further added: ‘Here, you have somebody [Trump] who not only acts in a way that is not consistent with anything that I hear in scripture or in church, where it’s about lifting up the least among us and taking care of strangers, which is another word for immigrants. And making sure that you’re focusing your effort on the poor. But also personally, how you’re supposed to conduct yourself. Not chest thumping look-at-me-ism, but humbling yourself before others,’ he said.
‘We see the diametric opposite of that in this presidency. I think there was perhaps a cynical process where he decided to, for example, begin to pretend to be pro-life and govern accordingly. Which was good enough to bring many Evangelicals over to his side.
Meanwhile, Buttigieg also caused controversy back in May for stating that, while God isn’t likely a partisan, he would never be a Republican in the mold of Donald Trump.
Buttigieg is pictured with his husband Chasten Glezman Buttigieg at campaign stop earlier this year