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GOP hopeful Donald Trump came to Flint on Wednesday for what appeared to be part of an ongoing effort to reach out to African Americans and show compassion for a community embroiled in a major water scandal.
But it's unclear just how that all worked out.
When Trump addressed a small group at the Bethel United Methodist Church in Flint, he began bashing Hillary Clinton, which didn't sit well with Pastor Faith Green Timmons, who interrupted him by saying:
"Mr. Trump, I invited you here to thank us for what we've done for Flint, not to give a political speech."
"Oh, oh, OK, OK, OK. That's good," Trump said. "Then I'm going to go back onto Flint, OK."
On Thursday, Trump appeared on Fox and Friends, according to NPR, and said: "Something was up." He said Pastor Faith Green Timmons seemed like a "nervous mess."
"I noticed she was so nervous when she introduced me. When she got up to introduce me she was so nervous, she was shaking. I said, wow, this is kind of strange. Then she came up. So she had that in mind, there's no question."
Pastor Timmons wrote on Facebook Wednesday night:
"Had he stuck to what his camp claimed he came to do, we would not have had a problem!"
NPR's Scott Detrow reports:
"The audience was saying let him speak, let him speak," Trump told Fox and Friends.
That isn't true. In fact, several audience members began to heckle Trump, asking pointed questions about whether he racially discriminated against black tenants as a landlord.
And that's when Timmons — who Trump said Thursday had planned to ambush him — stepped in to defend Trump, saying the Republican nominee was "a guest of my church, and you will respect him."
"Thank you. Thank you, pastor," Trump responded.
On Thursday morning, Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee, who represents Flint, issued a statement:
"Donald Trump's last minute trip to Flint for a photo op was insulting enough. But when he tried to attack Hillary Clinton during a visit to Bethel United Methodist Church, Rev. Faith Green Timmons stood up to his shameful attempt at using the Flint water crisis to make political attacks.
"It was in her city, in her church, at her podium, and he was invited there. The fact that he would question her intentions is beyond acceptable. Once again, Donald Trump has proven that he cares only about Donald Trump, and Donald Trump alone."
