The Republican National Committee denies comparing President-elect Donald Trump to Jesus after a controversial press release received major backlash on social media. RNC Chairman (soon-to-be Trump's Chief of Staff) Reince Priebus and Co-Chair Sharon Day wrote in their Christmas statement:
If you think that sure sounds like they're comparing Jesus ("a Savior who would offer the promise of salvation to all mankind") to Donald Trump ("a new King"), you definitely wouldn't be alone.
The statement got dragged all over Twitter by people of various political and religious beliefs:
But Sean Spicer, RNC spokesperson and incoming White House press secretary, told CNN that "Christ is the King in the Christian faith" and that the statement had nothing to do with Trump. When BuzzFeed also asked about the statement, Spicer called their question was "offensive," adding, "I hope you are kidding." Spicer also took to Twitter to call out CNN and BuzzFeed for "politicizing such a holy day."
Even after Spicer's attempt to defend the statement, people like Keith Olbermann and others continued to take shots at the poorly-worded statement and Spicer's excuses:
Notably, in previous years, the RNC's Christmas statements never said anything about a king, let alone that "this Christmas heralds a time to celebrate the good news of a new King."
If you're struggling to figure out whether or not Trump actually is Jesus, you can take this quiz for some better insight.