Fox News' Fox & Friends show on Sunday showed a preview of an interview in which soon-to-depart Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said Donald Trump was God's "chosen one" to be president of the United States.
In the interview conducted as Trump faces an impeachment inquiry, Perry implied that Trump is imperfect and that is fine.
"God's used imperfect people all through history," Perry said, naming several Biblical figures. "King David wasn't perfect, Saul wasn't perfect, Solomon wasn't perfect."
Perry added that he gave Trump "a little one-pager on those Old Testament kings" about month ago.
"I shared it with him and said, 'Mr. President, I know there are people that say you said you were the chosen one and I said, 'You were,'" Perry remarked. "I said, 'If you're a believing Christian, you understand God's plan for the people who rule and judge over us on this planet in our government.'"
Fox & Friends preview an interview with Rick Perry, where he says that Trump is "the chosen one" and "sent by God to do great things"
— Courtney Hagle (@CourtneyHagle) November 24, 2019
Pete Hegseth: "God has used imperfect people forever," but what Trump "has withstood is unlike what really any other mortal could understand" pic.twitter.com/ITDAErMJiN
That was the end of the preview clip and Fox News chief national correspondent Ed Henry claimed that fewer people on the left attack Perry.
"He pointed out to me he believes Barack Obama was sent by God as well, for that moment and that time," Henry said of the interview. "He thinks at this moment and this time, Donald Trump was sent by God to do great things."
Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy said she found Perry's comments "very interesting," and expressed concern that the "level of attacks" Trump has endured will dissuade others from running for office.
Then host Pete Hegseth said that his read from speaking with the president's supporters across the country is that they agree with Perry's claim that Trump is God's chosen one.
"They hear the attacks from the media about who he is and his background and they dismiss it and say, 'God has used imperfect people forever because we're all imperfect,'" Hegseth. "But what he's withstood is really unlike any other mortal could understand."
Hegseth's final comment was similar to a remark by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro last week when she interviewed White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.
"I don't know how anyone can deal with what he's dealing with," Pirro said, referring to Trump. "I mean I get frustrated with what's going on in Washington."
Pirro was discussing speculation by some members of the media that Trump's early physical could be indicative an issue other than just making use of some spare time. A White House physician reported that Trump was healthy.
"You know, Stephanie, he's almost superhuman," Pirro said.
Trump confirmed in mid-October that Perry said he would leave his position as energy secretary at the end of the year.
The former Texas governor mostly kept a low profile but recently came under scrutiny because Trump said that Perry encouraged him to participate in the July 25 call with Ukraine's president. Perry reportedly wanted Trump to discuss energy issues, but Trump's request for an investigation on 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has become the focal point of the call and led to Trump's impeachment inquiry.
Trump after confirming Perry's planned departure said he "couldn't have done a better job."
