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Liberty University board member knocks Falwell’s endorsement of Trump

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/01/16 2:02 PM ET

The chairman of Liberty University’s executive committee is knocking the endorsement of Donald Trump by the Christian school’s president.

“Donald Trump is the only candidate who has dealt almost exclusively in the politics of personal insult,” Mark DeMoss, who sits on the Liberty University’s board, told The Washington Post in a story published Tuesday.

{mosads}“The bullying tactics of personal insult have no defense — and certainly not for anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ. That’s what’s disturbing to so many people. It’s not Christ-like behavior that Liberty has spent 40 years promoting with its students,” DeMoss said.

“I’ve been concerned for Liberty University for a couple of months now, and I’ve held my tongue,” DeMoss continued. “I think a lot of what we’ve seen from Donald Trump will prove to be difficult to explain by evangelicals who have backed him. Watching last weekend’s escapades about the KKK, I don’t see how an evangelical backer can feel good about that.”

Trump has faced condemnation from his rivals and Republican Party leaders after apparently waffling during a weekend interview over the support of former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke.

Trump disavowed Duke’s support at a news conference last Friday, though he dodged questions about whether he would disavow the KKK on Sunday.

DeMoss made the comments on the eve of Super Tuesday as Republican voters head to the polls in a dozen states, including his home state of Georgia.

Some in the evangelical community were surprised when Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed the GOP front-runner in January, and Liberty University alumni have privately voiced uneasiness with it.

Trump often brags of the endorsement from Falwell. DeMoss told the Post he discussed his views with Falwell and said “this appears to be something we’re just going to disagree on.”

A spokesperson for the school characterized Falwell’s endorsement as personal, and Falwell didn’t immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

Tags 2016 endorsements 2016 GOP primary Donald Trump Liberty University