Trump Calls Pastor Adam Hamilton a ‘Pervert’ at Kansas Rally: Backs Roger Marshall
President Donald Trump called Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton a “pervert” during a rally in Park City, Kansas, on Oct. 19, as he campaigned for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall ahead of a competitive race in a state that has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932.
At the rally, Trump attacked Hamilton’s religious and political views while arguing that Marshall’s reelection was essential to keeping Democrats from taking control of the Senate.
Trump Targets Hamilton Over Religion and Politics
Trump accused Hamilton, the senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, of opposing Christian values and misrepresenting his political beliefs. The president said Hamilton “openly mocks Jesus” and accused him of “pretending to be a moderate.” Trump also claimed Hamilton wanted white voters to “repent for being born White.”
Trump’s most personal attack came as he discussed allegations involving a volunteer at a church-affiliated camp. Referring to Hamilton, Trump said, “That’s all you need to know after the election is over, is to find out that you’ve elected a pervert. That’s all you need to know.”
The allegations concern a former camp volunteer accused of molesting teenage boys. Hamilton has said Marshall misrepresented how the church handled allegations against the volunteer. Hamilton has also stated that the church should have contacted law enforcement earlier and changed its policies following the incident.
Trump also linked the Senate race to broader national political and cultural disputes, warning that a Democratic victory would threaten the country. “We’re not going to let that happen to this country,” he said, referring to unrest in France that he blamed on political forces he associated with Democrats.
Marshall and Hamilton Exchange Campaign Attacks
Marshall has sought to portray Hamilton as aligned with the national Democratic Party rather than as a moderate candidate for Kansas. “Make no mistake: Adam Hamilton is a radical Democrat, and his sermons are identical to the Democratic Party platform,” Marshall said in a post on X.
Hamilton’s campaign has countered by focusing on Marshall’s record and economic concerns facing Kansas voters. “Nothing said at the rally can distract from the fact Kansans are being crushed by rising gas and diesel prices, struggling to access affordable health care, and are tired of Washington corruption,” campaign spokesperson Tyson Brody said.
Trump also tied a policy commitment to Marshall’s reelection, saying he had granted Kansas a waiver allowing year-round sales of E15 gasoline and would make the arrangement permanent if Marshall remained in the Senate. “With Roger Marshall in the Senate, we will make year-round E15 permanent. But if Adam Hamilton is in, I’m not doing it,” Trump said.
Kansas Senate Race Could Shape National Power
Kansas has long been a Republican stronghold, and Trump won the state by 16 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. A Democratic victory in the Senate race would therefore represent a significant political shift and offer Democrats a potential route toward narrowing the Republican majority.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control, making competitive contests in traditionally Republican states important to both parties. Trump made that national calculation explicit during the rally, saying, “Roger Marshall is all that stands between the people of Kansas and communists controlling the United States Senate.”
He also urged voters to reelect Marshall, saying, “On November 3rd, you need to send a very strange Adam Hamilton back home and re-elect one of the greatest senators in our country, Roger Marshall.” The result will test whether Democrats can make gains in a state that has consistently favored Republicans in recent national elections.
