Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton last year appeared on Christian nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton’s podcast and praised Donald Trump for appointing judges that would “put God back in government” and promised to do his best to put religion back in Texas schools. Despite being an attorney, it appears that Middleton is unaware the Constitution, beyond never mentioning a higher power, firmly enshrines separation of church and state. Credit: Twitter / @mayes_middleton

Assclown Alert is a column of opinion, analysis and snark.

For someone who’s spent four years in public office and passed the Texas Bar Exam, State Sen. Mayes Middleton appears to have a piss-poor grasp of stuff most of us learned in 8th grade civics class. Namely, that the United States was never a Christian nation and that the Constitution, beyond never mentioning a higher power, firmly enshrines separation of church and state.

Middleton, a Galveston Republican who also happens to be an architect of Texas’ new state law allowing chaplains in public schools, appeared on a recent installment of Christian nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton’s The WallBuilders Show podcast and admitted the controversial measure is designed to insert religion into secular life.

In comments first reported on by the Friendly Atheist blog, Middleton praised former President Donald Trump for appointing judges that would “put God back in government.” The state senator then went on to explain how having chaplains in schools does the same.

“This allows students, faculty, staff to freely exercise their religion and have this tool available. Someone to talk to from a Godly perspective, because chaplains represent God in government,” Middleton said. “That’s what they do, and that’s what we need more of in this country. … Of course, these atheist groups out of Washington D.C. oppose chaplains in schools, but their legal arguments are now totally meritless, and they won’t win if they try.”

Of course Middleton’s admission comes after he and members of his party engaged in all sorts of ass-backward logic to argue to explain that the chaplain law’s passage had nothing to do with converting kids and everything to do with solving a mental health crisis.

Doesn’t take much head scratching to figure out Middleton’s now admitting to the opposite. But then that’s one of the interesting things about living through the Trump era: it’s emboldened assclowns who don’t give a shit about democracy to say the quiet part out loud.

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