Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, raised eyebrows on Monday when he said it's time for Pres. Donald Trump to "move on" and accept his defeat.
Speaking on the livestream broadcast of The 700 Club, Robertson described the president as living in an "alternate reality" where lies are truth.
"You know, with all his talent and the ability to be able to raise money and grow large crowds, the president still lives in an alternate reality. He really does. People say, 'Well, he lies about this, that and the other.' But no, he isn't lying; to him, that's the truth," the televangelist said.
He then enumerated things he claimed Trump insisted were true even though people kept pointing out they were false. He also said the evangelicals loved Trump so much that they stood with him "all the way" despite his statements.
Robertson went on to describe Trump as "very erratic" while acknowledging that the president has done "a marvelous job" for the US economy.
"He's done a marvelous job for the economy, but at the same time, he is very erratic, and he's fired people, and he's fought people, and he's insulted people, and it keeps going down the line. So it's a mixed bag," Robertson said.
"And I think it would be well to say, 'You've had your day and it's time to move on," he continued.
Robertson's controversial statements raised eyebrows and reaped criticism among viewers of The 700 Club, especially when less than two weeks ago, he declared that the US election was stolen and that "God Himself will intervene" to overturn the election results.
"I wanna say something to you: God is never late. We declared on this program, and you joined with me, that God Almighty was gonna do a miracle and stop the theft of our election and the fraud that was being perpetrated on the American people, and that God Himself would intervene," Robertson said on another broadcast of CBN's flagship show.
He gave the statement shortly after Texas filed a lawsuit directly with the Supreme Court to challenge the election procedures and outcome in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit a few days later, saying, "Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections."
The social media followers of The 700 Club were not happy with Robertson's statements regarding the president. Many of them expressed disappointment over Robertson's sudden change of opinion about the US election while others said he has lost hope and given up. Some questioned his faith in God's ability to turn things around in Trump's favor.
Robertson also commented on a speech Trump made where the president hinted he would run again in 2024 if the election result would not be overturned. Robertson said it would be a mistake if Trump ran for president again. He also said former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley would be a better bet than the incumbent president.
"I think it's a sideshow. I think it would be a mistake. My money would be on Nikki Haley; I think she'd make a tremendous candidate for the Republican Party," Robertson noted.
