Does President Trump wake up in the morning and think, “What can I tweet today to further drive Christian supporters out of their blessed minds?”

No sooner does The Stream schedule my “Oh, Elizabeth! Oh, My!” piece to publish when Trump handed his supporters a huge headache and his enemies a huge gift.

President Trump labeled Stormy Daniels “Horseface.” Label me “Bruise Face,” after banging my head against the wall.

Remember just a couple days ago, Pastor Andrew Brunson’s powerful prayer for the president in the Oval Office? Amazing. Consequential. There’s no limit to the spiritual benefit to a nation of having a president willing to be prayed over like that. Unfortunately, Pastor Brunson left off the line, “And please, Dear Lord, help the President not take mean shots at people.”

Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

President Trump took aim at Daniels amid a tweet celebrating a judge tossing out her defamation suit against him and ordering the porn star to pay Trump’s legal fees.

“Federal Judge throws out Stormy Danials lawsuit versus Trump. Trump is entitled to full legal fees.” @FoxNews Great, now I can go after Horseface and her 3rd rate lawyer in the Great State of Texas. She will confirm the letter she signed! She knows nothing about me, a total con!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018

Let’s clear out the obvious. Calling Michael Avenatti a “3rd rate lawyer” is an insult to “3rd rate lawyers.” But calling Daniels “Horseface”? That’s just wrong. Now, maybe back in the old neighborhood you call a woman who looks like Daniels “Horseface” for the same reason you call the 6’7″ guy “Shorty.” And who knows? By this afternoon, Trump might well be insisting it was a term of endearment.

But unless he comes back with quick with, “Cheap shot. Sorry,” the media and democrats will ride the “He Hates Women” horse through Election Day. All the gains Republicans are making on Hillary Clinton’s call for incivility are answered with “But Trump called Stormy Daniels ‘Horseface.'” Antifa violently attacks Republicans? “Trump attacks woman!”

Further, His comment was in the context of Daniels losing their lawsuit. So isn’t the insult the very example of kicking someone when they’re laid low? You’ve now taken Eric Holder’s call to violence off the table.

And What Of His Defenders?

What does this do to people like Sarah Sanders and Melania Trump? Melania’s heading a campaign against online bullying. Any move she makes is met with, “Yeah, but your husband …”

And Sanders has to go out there to face a press corp that’ll be utterly committed to getting her to condemn her boss.

Sarah can stand there and talk all day about how Trump’s policies have women’s unemployment lower than it’s been since World War II. She can point to how his actions have protected and prospered women here and abroad.

She can rightfully point to the women he’s put in crucial positions of power around him.

For a quick refresher:

The person he has protecting the homeland — a woman.
The person he has heading the CIA — a woman.
The person he has as his voice to the world at the UN — a woman.
The person he has as his voice to the press — a woman.
The person he has as his communications director — a woman.
The person he has as counsel (and former campaign manager) — a woman.
The person he has as most trusted adviser — a woman. (Ivanka, if you haven’t figured that out yet.)

Those are real, substantive facts with real consequences in the lives of real people. But in this environment, with this media, does it matter? Does it matter Daniels and her lawyer have been hellbent on destroying Trump, and fighting them tooth and nail is self-defense? Are the same people who spent weeks headlining her lawsuit going to spend five seconds saying it got tossed out? No.

Does it even matter that Stormy Daniels (to a much greater degree than Trump’s other foes) has proven perfectly capable of firing back at Trump? (Her response, though too vulgar for The Stream, shows she can play the game as well as he can.)

No. We’re back to “Trump hates women.” “Trump’s a misogynist.” “How can anyone support him?”

The Vexing Problem for Christian Supporters

Trump’s wayward tongue pose particular problems for Christian supporters — as has been written about often on The Stream, particularly by Dr. Michael Brown. In fact, I should be thanking the President because his “Horseface” crack is a perfect advertisement for our special series based on Brown’s book, Trump is Not My Savior.

In the series, Dr. Brown and James Robison discuss Trump, his many accomplishments, his foibles, and the belief God has placed His hand on this seemingly most-unlikely of men. As James often says, “God uses imperfect people to execute His perfect will.”

Today’s tweet reminds us the president particularly needs prayer, not only when he pulls off a victory (like securing Pastor Brunson’s release,) but when he proves himself all too human.

And so we pray. And must continue to pray. He needs it. And knows it. As he told Pastor Brunson “I need it more probably more than anybody in this room.”

Who’s to argue given his position and his walk? Who are we to deny him that prayer?
 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, and co-author of  The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration.