Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “All In” that President Donald Trump “has unleashed a kind of wickedness into the ether.”
Host Chris Hayes asked Warnock about the pope’s ministry following news that the pontiff had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous lobe from the lower portion of his right lung. Hayes noted that Warnock is the senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he has preached for decades, and asked how he viewed the pope’s influence—not only within the Catholic Church, but also in the broader moral and spiritual life of the United States and the world since becoming pope.
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Warnock said the pope’s presence was especially meaningful “in this moral moment in America,” as he accused Trump of unleashing “a kind of wickedness into the ether” and described the president as the most gifted politician he has ever seen at dividing the country. Calling Pope Leo “an American pope,” Warnock said his voice was essential and praised his efforts to appeal to “the higher angels of our nature.” He also said the pope had challenged the president’s war-making policies, drawing criticism from Vice President, whom Warnock called perhaps the most prominent and well-known Catholic in politics. Warnock added that he was praying for the pope’s strength and recovery, as well as for the health of the United States.
