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Donald Trump met with a group of influential black religious leaders on wednesday and that has many scratching their heads after one of the pastors praised the president as the “most pro-Black president” in recent history while slamming President Obama.
Say what now?
—Police investigating after American flag replaced with Nazi flag in public park—
The White House called the gathering Trump’s “Meeting with Inner City Pastors and presented it as an opportunity to discuss prison reform and opportunites for ex-convicts, re-opening of steel mills, urban issues, job growth for minorities the president’s leadership and faith.
It was my great honor to be joined by leading pastors and faith leaders from across our Nation today at the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/6sS1zGA1p7
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2018
Darrell Scott, a Ohio pastor who has cozied up to the administration by calling out the ills of the Black community, used the opportunity to kiss-up to Trump instead of calling out the high number of police shootings against blacks in a neighboring city.
“This is probably the most pro-active administration regarding urban America and the faith-based community in my lifetime,” Scott told the group, reports the NY Daily News.
What do you think they got out of this? It had to be more than this 2 second news clip. Are they now equity partners in Trump Inc. or something.
Because we all know that this is all lies. pic.twitter.com/BmBDbgJF5A
— deray (@deray) August 2, 2018
Scott continued spewing fake news saying that President Barack Obama didn’t do anything for the Black community.
“This president actually wants to prove something to our community, our faith-based community and our ethnic community. The last president didn’t feel like he had to,” Scott said and then added that believes Obama “Got a pass.”
Also in attendance was OWN reality TV star John Gray, the head of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
After a few opening statements and greetings from the president, he asked Gray to start the conversation with a prayer.
“God, we thank you for an opportunity to speak about the hearts of those who sometimes cannot fight for themselves. Thank you for this moment to be able to share our hearts with the president and his administration,” Gray said, according to White House transcripts. “Dr. King said we cannot influence a table that we are not seated at. And so we pray that this conversation will be fruitful, and productive, and honoring of the best traditions of this nation. We further pray that you will continue to give wisdom and insight to our President and his leadership team to be what our nation needs, to build this country from the inside out, that we will continue to be a beacon of hope and light around this world.”
Scott’s comments received swift backlash online. One influential Pastor Jamal H. Bryant took to a live video to address the Trump meeting and criticized the pastors for failing to use the movement to their benefit to better their communities.
“My heart is heavy,” Bryant began.
Pastor @JamalHBryant‘s Periscope broadcast “Chairs With No Legs: Black Preachers At The Table with Trump” on the preachers that went to meet with Donald Trump on Wednesday was prolific, poignant & pitch-perfect! WATCH: https://t.co/ReWT7vb4vt #JamalBryant #Trump #WhiteHouse
— Jawn Murray (@JawnMurray) August 2, 2018
—Utility company under fire for resetting Black woman’s account with racist password—
“We are in a dark, dismal and difficult time when basketball players and rappers have more moral authority than preachers,” he said.
Bryant continued to condemn the pastors for not using their seat at the table to make a difference.
Bryant then quoted scripture and scolded the pastors saying “He (God) said, ‘I prepare a table for you in the presence of my enemies’ All these preachers that went. God provided the table and you just walked away with a photo op. And you walked away with nothing.”
Gray closed the meeting by telling the president, “my prayer is that you will continue to have wisdom and insight to lead this nation.”