No stranger to controversy, Donald Trump decided to stay completely silent while everyone around him at the funeral of George H.W. Bush in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday recited the Apostles’ Creed and sang hymns. With many Republicans considering him to almost be a mythical hero and savior of sorts, on this particular occasion, Trump’s decision to opt out of the Christian parts of the funeral ceremony for Bush left many people shocked by his actions.
As Newsweek reported, a video of Bush’s funeral has surfaced, which shows nearly everyone reciting the Apostles’ Creed, including former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Besides the Obamas, former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, former president Jimmy Carter, Vice President Mike Pence and everyone that can be seen in the audience in the video of George H.W. Bush’s funeral invoked the words of the Creed. Everyone, that is, except for Donald and Melania Trump, who both stayed frozen silently as the familiar start began in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth.”
With CNN commentator Keith Boykin aghast at what he was witnessing, he quickly posted a video of this moment on Twitter, stating, “This is your ‘Christian’ evangelical president.”
WATCH: Living US presidents recite the Christian Apostles’ Creed — except for evangelical ‘hero’ Donald Trump https://t.co/K6BvM10jXC
— Raw Story (@RawStory) December 5, 2018
Once the video of the grim and silent Donald Trump had aired and been seen online, a great number of critics began discussing the fact that while others at the funeral had no problem reciting the Apostles’ Creed and singing hymns, these tasks appeared to be too much effort for the president.
Philip Rucker , who writes for the Washington Post , tweeted that Trump’s performance at Bush’s funeral once again highlights the many differences between him and past presidents.
“The differences between Trump and his predecessors are evident in ways big and small. 39, 42 and 44 are singing along to the hymn, but 45’s lips are not moving.”
It has not been forgotten by voters that many of Donald Trump’s supporters are fiercely evangelical, with the president garnering an astounding 80 percent of the vote from this segment of the American population in 2016.
However, Mediaite columnist John Ziegler tweeted it was so “weird” that “Barack Obama (the ‘Muslim’) knew all the words to the Apostles’ Creed, and Donald Trump (the Evangelical hero) didn’t know any of them, and didn’t even bother to read them.”
This is your “Christian” evangelical president. pic.twitter.com/u0478FoSyR
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) December 5, 2018
While there may have been a genuine reason why Donald and Melania Trump chose not to recite the Apostles’ Creed or sing hymns at the funeral of George H.W. Bush despite everyone else joining in, the general consensus seems to be that there probably wasn’t.
