Ocasio-Cortez: Jesus Christ Would Be ‘Maligned’ in Congress as ‘Radical’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday claimed Jesus Christ would be “maligned” and rejected by Congress as a “radical” due to teachings.

Ocasio-Cortez made the remark as she addressed a Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing in which the Trump administration was accused of undermining LGBTQ rights.

“If Christ himself walked through these doors and said what he said thousands of years ago ― that we should love our neighbor and our enemy, that we should welcome the stranger, fight for the least of us, that it is easier … for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into a kingdom of heaven ― he would be maligned as a radical and rejected from these doors,” the 30-year-old freshman congresswoman said.

“…if Christ Himself walked through these doors, [teaching] that we should love our neighbor and our enemy, that we should welcome the stranger, that we should fight for the least of us…He would be maligned as a radical and rejected…” Amen. pic.twitter.com/KIEaC1Q73o

— Jim Wallis (@jimwallis) February 27, 2020

Joining Ocasio-Cortez in criticizing the Trump administration was Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who accused President Trump in his opening statement of using executive orders roll back protections for gays and lesbians.

“The Trump administration has been working zealously to turn the government into an instrument of hostility and opposition towards LGBTQ rights across the executive branch of government,” said Raskin.

“Among the witnesses at Thursday’s hearing was Evan Minton, a transgender man who is suing a Catholic hospital in California for canceling his hysterectomy. The Trump administration had cited Minton’s case to justify why the conscience rule was necessary,” The Huffington Post reported.

Ocasio-Cortez also stated her Christian faith says Minton should have equal access to medical care akin to any other American.

“There is nothing holy about rejecting medical care of people, no matter who they are, on the grounds of what their identity is,” the “Squad” member said. “There is nothing holy about turning someone away from a hospital.”

Ocasio-Cortez then accused the U.S. of using Christianity to “justify” xenophobia, saying “White supremacists have done it, those who justified slavery did it, those who fought against integration did it and we’re seeing it today.”

“I am tired of communities of faith being weaponized and being mischaracterized because the only time religious freedom is invoked is in the name of bigotry and discrimination,” she added.

The White House rebuked the progress lawmakers’ accusations, saying in a statement to the Huffington Post they “deliberately distorting the president’s record,” while refusing to “credit any action he’s taken to protect and promote LGBTQ Americans.”

“The president believes in human dignity for all and that no one should be discriminated against, including religious organizations and the LGBTQ community,” said a White House press representative. “Since taking office, President Trump has taken actions that build on his longstanding commitment to responsibly safeguard the fundamental right to religious freedom by eliminating unfair and unequal treatment by the federal government.”

Ocasio-Cortez and Raskin’s comments come after President Trump appointed U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as acting director of national intelligence, making him the first openly gay person to hold a Cabinet-level position.

Ocasio-Cortez has previously evoked her faith, tweeting a Christmas message last year in which she claimed Jesus was a refugee. “Joy to the World! Merry Christmas everyone – here’s to a holiday filled with happiness, family, and love for all people. (Including refugee babies in mangers + their parents.),” she wrote at the time.