One of President Donald Trump's most prominent evangelical supporters was mocked online after being asked to "take an indefinite leave of absence" by Liberty University.
"Jerry Falwell Jr. will take an indefinite leave of absence from Liberty University after posting a racy photo to social media from his vacation where his pants were unzipped, his midriff was out, and he is standing next to a woman holding a glass of dark liquid. He later deleted the photo," The Washington Post reported Friday.
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"In recent months, Falwell’s behavior has been blasted by his own students, young alumni and Black alumni, but this week White evangelical leaders openly criticized him on social media," the newspaper explained. "Falwell’s father, Jerry Falwell Sr., was a prominent Southern Baptist pastor who co-founded the once-influential Moral Majority, a group that pushed for conservative politics. After his death, his sons succeeded him; Jerry Falwell Jr. took over the university while his son Jonathan Falwell became senior pastor of the church his father founded."
Here's some of what people were saying online:
When asked about this news, Jerry Falwell, Jr. responded that he's not at Liberty to say.— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈) 1596835189.0
Liberty University tells @JerryFalwellJr to ‘take an indefinite leave of absence’ Buh-bye fake Christian perv. https://t.co/c9TLTS5wWf— Kimberley Johnson (@Kimberley Johnson) 1596835887.0
Thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/c3uZkPYnw5— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@Ana Navarro-Cárdenas) 1596836553.0
Jerry Falwell, Jr. has been one of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters in the white evangelical Christian community… https://t.co/8DQmyxXq2H— Keith Boykin (@Keith Boykin) 1596836546.0
The Executive Committee of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees have requested that their Trump-loving, satanic s… https://t.co/7Dj3DegG5B— Bill Madden (@Bill Madden) 1596836865.0
Between the NRA suit, Falwell’s meltdown and D’Souza’s Thighland hilarity, this week in Trumpland has has a real La… https://t.co/Ab5m1nK4hP— Kevin M. Kruse (@Kevin M. Kruse) 1596836764.0
Jerry Falwell Jr. was asked to take a leave of absence for taking picture of a yacht with his pants unzipped, alcoh… https://t.co/WFmIs5eiTC— Tony Posnanski (@Tony Posnanski) 1596837346.0
Take some quality time off with the pool boy. https://t.co/K5caf9BKPV— Dr. emptywheel (@Dr. emptywheel) 1596837219.0
It’s almost like white-identity Christianity isn’t an ideology that extends beyond supplying a religious myth to hi… https://t.co/o5Fut4TbRk— Jared Yates Sexton (@Jared Yates Sexton) 1596834298.0
To put it in terms that the Fox News viewing audience can understand, Jerry Falwell Jr is going on a pre-planned va… https://t.co/SZd6Ksne6s— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1596834726.0
Falwell That Ends Well— Alexandra Petri (@Alexandra Petri) 1596834261.0
The fact that Trump's foremost Evangelical champion was increasingly adopting Trump's temperament and ethics was de… https://t.co/mr065OuYxQ— David French (@David French) 1596835293.0
Jerry Falwell Jr., one of Trump's most prominent and controversial evangelical supporters, will take an indefinite… https://t.co/V5DHTtVKFS— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1596836433.0
Jerry Falwell leaving his post to spend more time with the pool boy.— Michael Ian Black (@Michael Ian Black) 1596836923.0
Hmm, I wonder if posting the photo was in support of @realDonaldTrump's claims that Biden has no religion, is again… https://t.co/ViWHIuR47O— Tracie Stevens (@Tracie Stevens) 1596836041.0
I guess this means I can't congratulate Jerry Falwell on getting ousted at Liberty University - the "school" his ow… https://t.co/0u1qorP1Mg— 💙 Koko 🥁 💙 (@💙 Koko 🥁 💙) 1596837157.0
After all of @JerryFallwellJr's stupid bikinis with the pool boy and Michael Cohen that led him to block me on Twit… https://t.co/jAqF5Bbvjm— Grant Stern (@Grant Stern) 1596836532.0
I'm an outsider, but I would like to nominate those two Corinthians to serve as interim co-presidents. "Jerry Falw… https://t.co/eF4hRf5cN9— Larry Sabato (@Larry Sabato) 1596836631.0
I don’t mean to gloat about anti-LGBTQ hypocrite Jerry Falwell, Jr. getting kicked to the curb for being a pervy d… https://t.co/022J6cJLzm— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@Mrs. Betty Bowers) 1596837854.0
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the El Paso County Coliseum on February 11, 2019, in El Paso, Texas. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
