Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) denounced GOP attacks against President Biden for recognizing Trans Day of Visibility on Sunday, particularly calling out Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) criticisms as contradicting the principles of the Christian faith.
Trans Day of Visibility is observed annually on March 31, this year happening to coincide with Easter. Conservatives criticized Biden for acknowledging the day, with Johnson referring to it as an “outrageous and abhorrent” attack on Christianity.
“It seems the speaker finds trans people abhorrent, and I believe he should reflect on that,” Warnock stated in a CNN “State of the Union” interview with Dana Bash on Sunday.
Warnock, a reverend who delivered an Easter sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Jr.’s church in Atlanta, on Sunday, mentioned that the criticisms from Johnson, the Trump campaign, and other conservatives contradict scripture.
“This is just one more instance of people who cannot lead us attempting to divide us,” Warnock remarked. “This contradicts the Christian faith. Jesus focused on the marginalized. He focused on the poor.”
“And in times like this, we need voices, especially voices of faith, that would use our faith not as a weapon to attack others but as a means to unite all of us together,” he added.
The White House also pushed back on the criticism Saturday, noting that Biden is himself a devout Catholic.
“As a Christian who celebrates Easter with Family, President Biden stands for bringing people together and upholding the dignity and freedoms of every American,” spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement to multiple outlets.
“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising that politicians are trying to divide and weaken our country with cruel, hateful, and dishonest rhetoric. President Biden will never exploit his faith for political purposes or for profit.”
The Transgender Day of Visibility was started 15 years ago to celebrate transgender people and highlight the discrimination they endure. Easter falls on a different date each year.
