Republican Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk made himself a social media celebrity Wednesday afternoon when he absurdly claimed that Jesus Christ got more due process than President Trump is.
“…When Jesus was falsely accused of Treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus, than Democrats have afforded this president in this process.” #ShamImpeachment pic.twitter.com/n8FZRe64eo
— Barry Loudermilk (@RepLoudermilk) December 18, 2019
This deifying of Trump is a common practice, but it’s not novel. Democrats, including the current majority leader, compared President Bill Clinton’s impeachment to the crucifixion.
Steny Hoyer, a congressman from Maryland and now the No. 2 House Democrat, blasted the House’s vote to impeach Clinton as “a Pontius Pilate-like act, presumably designed to rationalize the profoundly precedent-setting action that this House now contemplates.”
Washington Rep. Jim McDermott also invoked Pontius Pilate, pointing out that then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich was absent during the impeachment debate. “The lack of leadership reminds me of Pontius Pilate, who washed his hands at the crucifixion,” McDermott said.
It seems that Congress has a long history of making absurd analogies between a president being impeached and a savior being crucified.
