Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Alex Wagner Tonight” that he believed pastors in America are failing their congregations because many Christians are equating former President Donald Trump to Jesus.

Kinzinger said, “I’ve come to believe over the last year that people, more than even fearing death, we’re such a tribalistic people that they fear being kicked out of their tribe. So, you accept anything because now Republicanism, conservatism, Trumpism becomes your identity, and so, you’re going to stay.”

He continued, “I’m going to say this as a Christian myself, the pastors, many pastors in this country are failing their congregations. Not even just by, you know, pushing a kind of Trumpism from the pulpit, but even refusing to talk about how bad it is, how corrosive it is. You have people today that literally, I think, they might not say it, but in their heart, they equate Donald Trump with a person of Jesus Christ. So to them, if you even come out against this amazing man, Donald Trump, which, I mean, obviously, he is quite flawed, you are coming out against Jesus, against their Christian values. When you go after their religion, that violates the depth of who they are. And I’ve been kicked out of my tribe, and that’s OK.”

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