Jesus Would Be Called a ‘Groomer’ Were He ‘Alive Today,’ Says MSNBC Political Analyst

U.S political analyst Matthew Dowd is making waves after saying that Jesus would be accused of being a “groomer” were He preaching today.

Dowd’s words came in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House,” where a panel discussed a recent feud between Michigan state senators Lana Theis and Mallory McMorrow, wherein Theis accused McMorrow of wanting to “groom” and “sexualize” kindergartners and teach “that 8-year-olds are responsible for slavery.”

While the term “grooming” has most often been understood in the context of human trafficking, wherein a trafficker gains the trust of a victim to ensnare them into sexual slavery, some Republicans have recently employed the word in reference to Democrats who oppose legislation that would limit how LGBTQ issues are discussed in public school classrooms.

A similar battle of language has been fought around Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently signed into law. While the legislation was referred to by its opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, its supporters touted it as an “Anti-Grooming” bill. This trend seems to be mainstreaming the once fringe notion among far-right conspiracy theorists that leadership within the Democratic Party is riddled with pedophiles.

Theis’ criticism of McMorrow also referenced Critical Race Theory, another legislative battleground when it comes to public school curriculums.

In the panel discussion regarding the feud, Dowd said,

“We are in a culture war. This has been a culture war launched by many Republicans against the country—not only against Democrats, but against the country as a whole.”

Dowd served as a political strategist for a number of
Republican politicians, including for George W. Bush’s 2004 presidential bid, before becoming a political analyst for ABC.

He briefly ran for Texas lieutenant governor as a Democrat in 2021 before returning to political commentary, this time with MSNBC.

“You don’t win a culture war by talking about ‘Build Back Better.’ You don’t win a culture war by talking about ‘you fixed a road,’” Dowd went on to say. “You win a culture war by presenting an argument on the opposite side of the culture war and win the day.”

“If He was speaking the message He spoke in the gospels
today, about treating everybody with dignity—Jesus Christ hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors. He was nailed to a cross, because He spoke on behalf of the most marginalized people in the Middle East,” Dowd went on to say.