Fox News anchor Shepard Smith on Monday highlighted how Pastor Robert Jeffress’ “well-documented” controversial views on Judaism didn’t prevent him from being chosen to speak during the opening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
“One of the men who gave a prayer before the ceremony in Jerusalem today says he believes all Jews are going to hell,” Smith said during his Fox News show Monday.
“Robert Jeffress is the pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dallas. His views on other religious groups, and Judaism, as well as the LGBT community, are well-documented,” he continued.
Smith then touched on Jeffress’ views of Mormonism and Islam.
“Jeffress said Mormonism has never been part of Christianity, Islam is a false religion, and if you follow the tenets of it, you will end up in hell when you die,” Smith added. “He’s accused gays of being engaged in the most unclean acts you can imagine and said the Supreme Court decision on marriage equality is the greatest, most historic, landmark blunder ever in the court’s history.”
White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah didn’t elaborate on why Jeffress was selected to travel with the U.S. delegation to Israel when asked by reporters during Monday’s press briefing.
“Pastor Jeffress has had a strong relationship with many people in the faith community, as well as folks in the administration, and Republicans on the Hill, and others, and I believe Democrats as well … beyond that, I don’t really have a whole lot to add,” Shah said.
Earlier Monday, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a Mormon, slammed Jeffress as a “religious bigot” for his statements regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Robert Jeffress says “you can’t be saved by being a Jew,“ and “Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.” He’s said the same about Islam. Such a religious bigot should not be giving the prayer that opens the United States Embassy in Jerusalem.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) May 14, 2018
