Billionaire GOP Donor Says Real Christians Aren’t Conflicted About Trump

Foster Friess, Chairman, Friess Associates makes remarks at CPAC 2013 At the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on Friday, March 15, 2013. Credit: Ron Sachs / CNP Photo by: R... Foster Friess, Chairman, Friess Associates makes remarks at CPAC 2013 At the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on Friday, March 15, 2013. Credit: Ron Sachs / CNP Photo by: Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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Billionaire GOP donor Foster Friess said Christian voters who are “really embracing their Christian values” aren’t conflicted about voting for Trump, before explaining away Trump’s near-complete lack of remorse about otherwise offensive comments and actions.

“I don’t think they should be conflicted if they’re really embracing their Christian values,” Friess told CNN’s Carol Costello on Tuesday morning, referring to Christian voters who are of two minds about supporting Trump.

“One of the gifts Jesus gave us was forgiveness,” he added.

Friess then fibbed after telling Costello it was hypocritical of Hillary Clinton to complain about the “terrible image” of Trump boasting on a hot mic that he could kiss and grope women without permission because of his celebrity status.

“She’s the one who pulled the video up!” he said.

When Costello said NBC News and the Washington Post broke the story about the recording, not the Clinton campaign, Friess did not relent.

“Well, anyway, she’s running a lot of money to show it again and again,” he said.

Costello asked if Trump ought to be held responsible for the comments he made in that tape, to which Friess said he wouldn’t defend those remarks himself. He went on to say Christians were excited when Trump “came up and said, ’In the heat of the campaign I said things I shouldn’t, and I really regret it.’”

Trump said in August—months before the tape in question was published—that he was guilty of “sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues,” not saying the right things. He said he regretted where that might have caused personal pain.

At midnight after the tape leaked in early October, Trump delivered a rare apology when he said “I’ve said and done things I regret, and the words released today on this more-than-a-decade-old video are one of them,” before continuing: “I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.”

But seconds later, he said: “Let’s be honest, we’re living in the real world. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we are facing today.”

In the interview with Costello, Friess asked “What value is our Christian faith if we don’t forgive someone who’s seeking to move forward?”

In July 2015, Trump wondered aloud to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?”

In June of this year, Trump said: “Hopefully I won’t have to be asking for much forgiveness” from God.

Friess painted a more optimistic picture of Trump’s relationship with the Lord.

“I think the whole message of Christianity here is evidence of Donald Trump’s progress, where you lookout where he was 10 years ago and where he is today, we have to be excited about that,” he said.

Watch below via Mediaite:

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