The president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, issued a press release today, “Trump’s Spokeswoman Must Apologize.” At issue is a December 8, 2011, tweet by Katrina Pierson:
Just saw a commercial from Catholic Church stating that Catholic Church was started by Jesus. I bet they believe that too. #sad
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) December 18, 2011
Donohue comments:
No one makes a comment like this without harboring an animus against Catholicism. It would be instructive to learn more about Pierson’s thoughts on the subject. Perhaps she can share them with us.
I agree and so do the countless Catholics who took to Facebook and Twitter over the past two days to decry Pierson’s presence in the Trump campaign and call for her removal. Donohue doesn’t go that far. He asks for “assurances from Donald Trump that he will not tolerate anti-Catholicism in his campaign.”
Knowing Bill Donohue as I do, I promise he will not leave this issue alone until Trump responds. If Trump ignores Donohue’s reasonable request, the charge of anti-Catholicism will only begin to look credible.
Katrina Pierson, who voted for Obama in 2008, became Trump’s spokeswoman last November. Her eventual disillusionment with Obama led Pierson to become active in the Texas Tea Party out of which she emerged as a leader. She supported Ted Cruz in his 2012 Senatorial campaign, but during a January 2015 meeting of Tea Party leaders with Ted Cruz in Myrtle Beach, she met Trump. Pierson found herself drawn away from Cruz towards Trump, as she has explained, because of his “non-traditional” campaign style.
However, those familiar with Pierson’s behavior during the 2012 Cruz campaign, especially on election night, believe she was disappointed in not being put in the spotlight or finding her way into the Senator Cruz inner circle.
In the three months since her hiring, Pierson’s on-air comments, as well as her past tweets, are making her a liability that Trump cannot afford to ignore. The Alternet article entitled “12 Craziest Things About Trump’s Spokeswoman Katrina Pierson” will raise anyone’s eyebrows. For example, Pierson had called all Republicans “racist” and advises the United States “not to worry” about using its nuclear weapons.
As if this were not enough, Pierson’s past tweets are being reviewed and an uglier picture is of Trump’s spokeswoman is emerging. This tweet from January 19, 2012, Pierson was forced to start defending today:
Perfect Obama’s dad born in Africa, Mitt Romney’s dad born in Mexico. Any pure breeds left? #CNNDebate
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) January 20, 2012
What kind of person talks about “pure breeds” these days? Answer: the same kind of person to who arrogantly dismisses the faith of the Catholic Church.
Donald Trump is supposed to be master of hiring and firing. That he would have Katrina Pierson in such an important and visible position tells me that his judgment is flawed in an area where he was supposed to be masterful. Perhaps Trump can show better judgment by announcing Katrina Pierson is no longer working for his presidential campaign.
You can contact Trump’s press secretary, Hope Hicks, at HHTrump2016@gmail.com.
Deal W. Hudson is publisher and editor of The Christian Review, president of the Morley Institute for Church and Culture, and former publisher and editor of Crisis Magazine.
