“Even the object of his affection is embarrassed for him” — Internet reacts to Trump eyeing Pastor Lorenzo Sewell as he delivers a benediction
Lorenzo Sewell, senior pastor of 180 Church in Detroit, went viral on X for his benediction at Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20, 2025.
In his benediction, the pastor referenced Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, gospel hymns, the Declaration of Independence, and patriotic songs.
Hawk-eyed netizens noticed Trump standing behind the pastor while he gave his benediction. Trump's facial expressions humored the netizens. A netizen's (@j_0rdaan) tweet went viral. They said,
"I am screaming."
The enthusiastic benediction garnered a mixed reaction from the netizens. A netizen (@rdbatson) on X wrote,
"Black Trump supporters always take coonery to a new level. Even the object of his affection is embarrassed for him."
Some netizens criticized the pastor for acting like a "caricature," and another X user pointed out the irony of the pastor saying "free at last" in front of a group of white people.
"Why all black trump supporters so extra .. none of them are normal they are all caricatures lol." An X user said.
""free at last" in front of a group of white folks? Nah," said another user.
"Ppl are such mindless sellouts. It’s truly sickening and such a disgrace," A netizen wrote.
Some netizens praised Lorenzo Sewell for his energetic benediction. One netizen wrote that even Jesus would have laughed seeing him.
"I actually like the guy, his voice was clear and confident he didn’t read from a paper! Y’all should give your own grace, nothing wrong with a little excitement, he came through with that energy and spoke loud & confident. Clap for him!" A netizen on X wrote.
"I think Jesus himself would have chuckled a bit," another X user wrote.
Who is Lorenzo Sewell, and how did Trump come across the man?
According to ABC's January 21, 2025 report, Lorenzo Sewell has been a pastor in 180 Church in Detroit, Michigan, for seven years. He was drawn to Christianity after a spiritual revelation in 1999.
As per NewsX's report on January 20, 2025, Lorenzo Sewell had a troubled childhood growing up in Detroit, and his father was imprisoned for murder. Before he got a spiritual revelation in 1999, he was a dr*g dealer.
In January 2025, Lorenzo Sewell told Fox News that the Bible is a political book, and being spiritual goes hand in hand with being political. One can not avoid politics as a spiritual person.
"The gospel message is a political message. The Bible is a political book from Genesis to Revelations. We see that the Bible is a political book. It is impossible to be politically neutral. It is important to be spiritual because you are political. You cannot be a spiritual person and not be political."
Lorenzo Sewell, a Republican, has supported Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. According to Times Now, Sewell and Trump first met in June 2024. He hosted Trump at 180 Church's roundtable discussion.
Lorenzo Sewell reportedly made a good first impression on Trump and was invited to multiple events, including the Republican National Convention, in July 2024.
Several clips of the inauguration on January 20, 2025, went viral on social media. In his speech, Donald Trump thanked Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, SpaceX, and Tesla Motors, leaving netizens wondering if the President cheated in the election with his help.