A guest on BBC’s Question Time found himself lost for words when reacting to Donald Trump’s suggestion that he survived an assassination attempt last July because God “saved” him. The new US president made this bold statement during his inauguration on Monday.
A Shocking Claim: “God Saved My Life”
Times columnist and ex-Tory MP Matthew Parris was stunned. On Question Time, he recalled Trump’s remark:
“Claiming God saved your life on Martin Luther King Day—when God did not save Martin Luther King’s life—is just…”
At that point, Parris trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief, prompting applause from the studio audience.
The MLK Connection
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Americans commemorate him every year on 20 January, which often coincides with presidential inaugurations. Suggesting divine intervention—on a day honouring a leader who wasn’t “saved”—felt off to Parris.
Parris’ Colourful Criticism
Once he regained composure, Parris listed his choice adjectives for the new president:
“I’ve called [Trump] a slob, a bigot, a lawbreaker… He appeals to the dark and chaotic side of human nature.”
He also joked that a three-month “grace period” for new leaders would have spared Liz Truss from her short tenure.
The “God Didn’t Save Him” Rebuttal
On the same panel, Conservative MP David Davis dismissed Trump’s claim, saying:
“I don’t think God’s taking advice from Donald Trump… God did not save him, a bad marksman saved him, in terms of the rifleman.”
But Davis still hailed Trump as the “most influential person in the world,” suggesting that ongoing diplomacy in Gaza and Ukraine wouldn’t have progressed as far without him.
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