Donald Trump’s recent comments during a White House meeting on immigration reformation in which he called Haiti and parts of Africa “sh*thole countries” were nasty and reprehensible, of course. It offended millions of people from Haiti and Africa, not to mention many other decent, non-racist-thoughts-having individuals from other places. But then there’s the Mike Pence issue. Pence, a devout, strict, extremely conservative man of Christian faith and morals, probably doesn’t care too much for Trump’s generalizing and nasty slam against the brotherhood of man. And if not that, or in addition to that, he definitely doesn’t appreciate the potty mouth.
Mike Pence is caught between a rock and a hard place, although he probably would never use that cliché of a phrase because “rock” reminds him of rock n’ roll—too spicy and evil for him—and a hard place reminds him too much of erections, which to him are wicked and wrong. Does he support his boss and president, or does he go with his religious convictions?
This all came to a head (sorry Pence) on Sunday. Pence did what he usually does on Sundays—go to church—probably expecting to check in with his god and enjoy a nice respite from the horrific politics he has to deal with the other 167 hours of the week. Pence and his wife, Karen “Mother” Pence, attended services as special guests at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, a predominantly and historically African-American house of worship in Largo, Maryland. Pastor Maurice Wilson delivered a powerful sermon to the congregation, which includes many people from Haiti and Africa, in which he decried Trump’s “sh*thole comments for what they are: “dehumanizing” and “ugly.”
“I stand today as your pastor to vehemently denounce and reject any such characterizations of the nations of Africa and of our brothers and sisters in Haiti,” Watson said to thunderous cheers and a standing ovation. “Whoever made such a statement, whoever used such a visceral, disrespectful, dehumanizing addicting to characterize the nations of Africa, whoever said it, is wrong. And they ought to be held accountable,” he continued, knowing full well that the work-BFF of “whoever said it” was in the building. And Mike Pence was, according to local TV station WUSA-TV, “visibly red-faced at times throughout the speech.” (In an official email to the Associated Press, however, Pence’s office denied that Pence reacted like an embarrassed human being.)