Donald Trump was interrupted a few times on Wednesday during a stop at a Methodist Church — including by the pastor.
As he launched into attacks on Hillary Clinton the church’s pastor, Rev. Faith Green Timmons, warned: this isn’t the place for politicking.
“Mr. Trump, I invited you here to thank us for what we’ve done in Flint, not give a political speech,” she said.
"Okay, that’s good. Then I’m going to go back to Flint,” Trump said, pivoting back to the water crisis.
But the Republican nominee was also heckled by some members of the audience of about fifty in the church. One woman called out to him about discriminatory housing practices in his buildings, to which Trump responded: “never, you’re wrong. Never would.”
Yet amid the further interruptions, it was Timmons who saved Trump.
“Mr. Trump is a guest of my church,” she said. “And you will respect him.”
Ahead of Trump’s remarks, the Bethel United Methodist Church released a statement that preached open mindedness — and clarity that this wasn’t an endorsement. “The United Methodist is an open church,” the paper statement read. “We welcome all people. Our official statement is ‘open hearts, open minds, open doors.”
After Trump had left the church, where his remarks only lasted just a few minutes, Michigan People’s Campaign members took credit for the heckles and interruptions regarding Trump’s DOJ-investigated, discriminatory housing practices.
This is the same protest group that successfully disrupted Trump’s August economic speech in Detroit, interrupting him 14 times during remarks to the Detroit Economic Club.
During his Wednesday remarks in Flint, Trump told the gathered crowd that it seems Flint has reversed roles with Mexico.
Related: Ford to Move All Small-Car Production to Mexico From U.S., CEO Announces
“It used to be cars were made in Flint and you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico. Now, the cars are made in Mexico and you can’t drink the water in Flint. That’s not good."
Prior to the stop at the church, the GOP nominee spent part of his Wednesday touring the Flint water plant.
