Pastor Criticizes President in Front of Vice President

Mike Pence was visiting a church in Maryland and got an earful about Donald Trump's recent immigration comments

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Jan 15, 2018 3:45 PM CST

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Pastor Criticizes President in Front of Vice President — FILE - In this June 27, 2017 photo, Ronald Smith gets on his bicycle after stopping at the Triple S Food Mart, where Alton Sterling was shot by police one year ago, in Baton Rouge, La. A year later, visitors routinely stop by the store to photograph the mural of Sterling's smiling face on its aluminum... (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

With Vice President Mike Pence sitting in the pews, a Maryland pastor denounced Donald Trump's vulgar description of African nations. Maurice Watson, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Largo, delivered the sermon Sunday while Pence was visiting. Watson called Trump's remarks—in which he reportedly used an obscenity to describe African nations and Haiti during an immigration discussion with Congressional leaders—"dehumanizing" and "ugly." The pastor said "whoever made such a statement" is wrong and should be held accountable.

Watson said he felt "led by God to do it" and noted many of his congregants come from African nations. Worshippers stood and applauded as Watson spoke. WUSA-TV reports Pence became red-faced at times during the sermon, though Pence's office denied that in an email Monday to the Associated Press.

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