Donald John Trump’s penchant for political pandering is boundless, without limit, without a single sense of irony.

For this president to stand before the nation and take up the cudgel for houses of worship as “essential” business not only is laughable on its face, it is repugnant in the extreme.

The pandemic has killed more than 96,000 Americans and is marching inexorably past 100,000 and way beyond. Imagine a president of the United States weaponizing people’s faith to use against fellow Americans, which is what Trump did today.

He said governors have declared abortion clinics, tattoo parlors and liquor stores to be “essential,” but not churches. He seeks to suggest that churchgoers are insulted by governors’ declaration.

Then he said he would “override” governors who decline to follow his directive, that he would order them to mandate that houses of worship must open their doors to worshipers.

Good grief. He has no authority to issue such an order. Had he read the Constitution, he would know that the First Amendment prohibits government intrusion in religious matters.

The bitterest pill for me to swallow is that this president would step into this argument at all. He has no religious background. He has admitted to grabbing women by their genitals. Trump has declared he’s never sought forgiveness, which according the Bible I have read is a fundamental tenet of Christianity.

He speaks of religious faith in hollow platitudes. Don’t take my word for it. Listen carefully to the next time tells us that religion is “so important” to Americans.

So this clown seeks to interfere in governors’ attempts to govern their states. What’s worse is that he seeks to interfere in pastors’ attempts to protect their congregations from a killer disease.