Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr. Defends Trump Amid Scandals
BOLDUAN: The president of the largest Christian university in the country says he will vote for Donald Trump, saying so, even in light of the new allegations against Donald Trump.</s>BERMAN: I want to bring in Liberty University president, Jerry Falwell Jr. Mr. Falwell, thanks so much for being with us. You were on Erin Burnett last night and made a little bit of news. She asked you outright that if the allegations in "The New York Times," these two women who accuse Donald Trump of inappropriate contact, if they were true, would you still vote for Donald Trump. You suggested the answer to that question was yes. Do you still feel the same way this morning?</s>REV. JERRY FALWELL JR, PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: I told her it was a hypothetical question. I couldn't answer a hypothetical question. That's like asking somebody if the candidate you support murdered somebody, would you still support them.</s>BOLDUAN: These are actual allegations. No one's accusing Donald Trump of murdering anyone. These are women who have come forward on the record, on camera, making an allegation against Donald Trump.</s>FALWELL: And there are allegations that the Trump campaign categorically denied last night before I went on Erin Burnett's show. I talked to Mr. Trump later last night and he explained why they were not true. He just -- I think his statement will be very strong in a few minutes when he comes out.</s>BERMAN: What did he say? How did he explain they were not true?</s>FALWELL: He told me about e-mails that he had from these accusers who wanted to work for him afterwards, after the supposed event occurred. He told me about other e-mail evidence that supports the fact that it didn't happen. And I agree with what one of your other guests just a little while ago said, that Donald Trump's a billionaire. If this had happened, I have no doubt in my mind that the have brought suit many years ago. And I just -- I don't -- that videotape that was released last week, I think there's a different Donald Trump now, unlike Hillary. I believe all people are redeemable. I believe his life has changed. I believe he's a different person now. So that's why I'm still supporting him.</s>BOLDUAN: Don't want to get lost. Do want to ask you about that, but that is very important what you just said. If Donald Trump told you last night that he has evidence that would be contrary to what these women have put forward, be very interested to see that. And hopefully, he will be putting that out. You have said this before, that Donald Trump is a changed man. You say he's even a different man than he was two or three years ago. When did this change happen? Where is the evidence that makes you confident of that?</s>FALWELL: Well, I have seen his relationship up close with his family, with his employees. I have seen -- had long discussions with him. I have heard from people like Dr. James Dobson, one of the most respected evangelicals in the country, over the last four decade talk about how he is personally aware of a conversion to Christianity by Mr. Trump and a rebirth experience. So I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but Donald Trump -- I think just interacting with the American people and saying how much they are suffering and how much they have been betrayed by their leaders and the establishment, I think that in itself has had a big positive impact on him. And I think he's gone from being a New York businessman, entertainer, to being a politician who is completely willing to sacrifice all of that to save the country great things in this nation.</s>BERMAN: So you said "betrayed." There are some students at your own university right now who say they feel betrayed. A group of Liberty students put out a statement protesting your support of Donald Trump. Let me read you some of it. It says, "We are Liberty students who are disappointed with President Falwell's endorsement and are tired of being associated with one of the worst presidential candidates in American history." It goes on, "Not only is Donald Trump a bad candidate for president, he is actively promoting the very things that we, as Christians, ought to oppose." Your response to your own students?</s>FALWELL: We do have a small group. We have 15,000 students on campus, 90,000 online students, who are adults all over the country. We do have a small group of the Never-Trump crowd on campus who would rather see Hillary elected than Donald Trump. But that group, they claim to have 200 signatures, then they claimed they had 1200. I don't know what the number is. But I have received many, many tweets and messages from people who say, I signed it, and I'm not a student, I'm an alumni, or I'm not affiliated with Liberty at all. And some of the things they said in that statement are untrue. They said I have been traveling all over the country promoting Trump and that I had somehow associated Trump with Liberty. I have always been careful to make it clear that my endorsement of Trump is mine only. I'm not speaking for the university. But I also say this. I'm proud of those students because unlike a lot of ivy league schools, Liberty University promotes free expression of ideas, promotes academic freedom, and I'm proud for speaking their mind, for going against the grain. Yesterday, when Michael -- when Mike Pence spoke at Liberty, he received thunderous applause when he talked about Donald Trump, and it encouraged the students to vote for Donald Trump. He received five standing ovations. So if there is a group that is embarrassed by my support of Trump, it's very small in relation to the whole student population. But I am proud of them for being bold enough to speak out. That's not true. A lot conservative students are scared to say what they think.</s>BOLDUAN: Jerry Falwell Jr, thank you so much. Standing by Donald Trump. Thanks for coming on this morning. We appreciate it.</s>BERMAN: Let's reiterate --</s>FALWELL: Absolutely.</s>BERMAN: -- what Mr. Falwell just told us. He claimed that Donald Trump told him overnight and Trump has e-mail evidence that some of the allegations against him either are not true or --</s>BOLDUAN: Or there's more to the story, than we know now, which -- we'd love to know more of any of the stories.</s>BERMAN: We're standing by for Donald Trump speaking. That will happen in a few minutes. Will he, you know, reveal what he told Jerry Falwell Jr? We'll see that. Also, First Lady Michelle Obama, she is going to speak in New Hampshire. Looking at live blurry pictures from that event in New Hampshire. We will try to take that to you live. This is her first chance to respond to these new allegations last night. She has always said, when the Trump campaign, goes low, we go high. Stay with us. A lot going on.