Fact Check

Donald Trump Bashes Jesus, Says He Can Save America?

An article reporting that Donald Trump had badmouthed Jesus originated from a satire site.

Published Feb. 18, 2016

 (Donald Trump)
Image Via Donald Trump
Claim:
Donald Trump bashed Jesus, saying that he could save America without some "silly cross."

On 30 December 2015, the entertainment web site Free Wood Post published a fake news article claiming that Donald Trump had badmouthed Jesus, saying that he could "save" America without some "silly cross":

“You know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna make America great again. You know how I’m gonna do it? I’m gonna get the best people, only the greatest. I’m gonna save our country. I’m gonna save this nation like nothings been saved before. I’m gonna save this nation like Jesus saved Christians. Except, I’ll be able to save you without some silly cross. I don’t like guys who let themselves get nailed to a cross. Real saviors don’t need crosses, they need know-how. And know-how is what you’ll get with President Trump.”

This is not a real quote from Donald Trump.  Free Wood Post is an entertainment publication that does not publish factual news stories:

Free Wood Post is a news and political satire web publication, which may or may not use real names, often in semi-real or mostly fictitious ways. All news articles contained within FreeWoodPost.com are fiction, and presumably fake news.

Any resemblance to the truth is purely coincidental, except for all references to politicians and/or celebrities, in which case they are based on real people, but still based almost entirely in fiction.

This isn't the first time that a satirical fake news web site attempted to frame Donald Trump as a person who believes that he is more popular than Jesus. In August 2015, the humor web site The Good Lord Above published a fictitious story in which Trump called Jesus a "socialist loser."

However, Trump has shared thoughts about his beliefs in the past.  In a September 2015 interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network, he told the interviewer:

Well, I say God is the ultimate. You know you look at this? Here we are on the Pacific Ocean. How did I ever own this? I bought it fifteen years ago. I made one of the great deals they say ever. I have no more mortgage on it as I will certify and represent to you. And I was able to buy this and make a great deal. That’s what I want to do for the country. Make great deals. We have to, we have to bring it back, but God is the ultimate. I mean God created this (points to his golf course and nature surrounding it), and here’s the Pacific Ocean right behind us. So nobody, no thing, no there’s nothing like God.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.