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Embattled U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), whose interview with a local Florida reporter made national headlines this week, exposed herself as a stalwart Christian nationalist on Wednesday when she declared “each person” will “serve” and “praise” Jesus “as Lord,” and “we will preserve this country the way you formed it and the way you envisioned it.”
The United States was not formed as a Christian nation, a fact countless articles and scholarly papers have proven. Nor were members of Congress elected to “preserve” America as such. Christian nationalists, however, allege the U.S. was created as a Christian nation, that Christians should hold the reins of power, and their interpretations of the Bible should be the law of the land.
Congresswoman Salazar, in recorded video (below), can be seen speaking from a pre-written speech at Wednesday’s National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance at the controversial Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., as Right Wing Watch‘s Kyle Mantyla reported.
“Lord,” Salazar begins, “everyone who is here comes in accordance right now, based on the power that we have as Christians, and we tie the hands of Satan on all his demons and send them under the feet of Jesus. We, in the name of Jesus, we declare that each person regardless of their race, nationality, language, will serve you and we will praise you as Lord and we will preserve this country the way you formed it and the way you envisioned it. We declare this in the name of Jesus.”
Wednesday’s event was held just one day before Thursday’s newly-re-created National Prayer Breakfast, both of which Speaker Mike Johnson, also a Christian nationalist, attended.
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“Dozens of members of Congress joined with multitudes of religious-right activists” at Wednesday’s event, RWW observed. “Hosted by Jim Garlow of Well Versed ministry and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, the hours-long event featured wave after wave of politicians and activists taking the stage to deliver various prayers, many anodyne but some more targeted and political.”
Both Garlow and Perkins are longtime anti-LGBTQ activists.
“The event’s main feature was the prayers delivered by the myriad members of Congress who took to the stage in small groups and delivered their short prayers in turn,” including Salazar. The list also included “Rep. Greg Steube of Florida, who proclaimed that everyone in the nation must repent of immorality and their rejection of God. He was followed by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, who delivered a prayer entirely dedicated to railing against abortion, and Rep. Randy Weber of Texas who wept as he begged God’s forgiveness because this nation has ‘trampled on holy marriage and called it an alternative lifestyle.’”
Rep. Salazar was derided and mocked when the local Florida reporter, armed with examples, asked her to explain why she repeatedly has taken credit for funds the federal government has given to the Sunshine State despite having voted against the legislation that brought what she says is $40 million to the constituents in her district.
“Last month you were at FIU [Florida International University] and you presented a check for $650,000 to help small businesses at FIU,” CBS Miami’s Jim DeFede, host of Facing South Florida, told Rep. Salazar in an interview on Sunday. “But you voted against the bill that gave the money that you then signed a check for and handed and had a photo op, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023. Right? You voted against that bill.”
Apparently surprised by the line of questioning, Salazar replied, “I, right now, you have to give me more details.”
“I do know that every time I have an opportunity to bring money to my constituents, I do so. I just did $400,000,” she professed.
When asked to confirm she also had voted against the CHIPS and Science Act, a major piece of Biden legislation which she then celebrated receiving funding from, Salazar replied: “Listen, I, right now I need to, I need to ask my staff – but what about the $40 million I have brought to this community? Aren’t you proud of me? Aren’t you proud of the $40 million that I have brought?”
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The Florida congresswoman has also been promoting false information, as she did in a summer of 2022 video she posted to social media.
In that video, Salazar complained about what she called the “through the roof” cost of back-to-school shopping, falsely telling her constituents that inflation was 40%. It was 8.3% at the time of her remarks. And while she blamed “Washington” for inflation, Congresswoman Salazar also joined with every House and Senate Republican in voting that year against the Inflation Reduction Act.
Salazar never took down the erroneous video despite NCRM’s report just hours after she posted her false claim.
Watch Salazar’s Christian nationalism remarks below or at this link.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida proclaimed that “each person, regardless of their race, nationality, language will serve you and praise you as Lord, and we will preserve this country the way you formed it and the way you envisioned it.” https://t.co/FoS5Mf0hYL https://t.co/0UBOp8evDx pic.twitter.com/2JsWPsxVFe
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 2, 2024
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