(DC Pundit) – Former Secretary of State and two-time presidential election loser Hillary Clinton is back in familiar territory: lecturing Americans she doesn’t understand, about values she doesn’t practice. In an op-ed titled “MAGA’s War on Empathy,” published Thursday in The Atlantic, Clinton attempted to scold Christian leaders for allegedly abandoning their faith. Instead, she accidentally handed them a badge of honor they seem more than happy to wear.
Clinton’s piece argues that Christian conservatives, particularly those aligned with President Donald Trump, have somehow forsaken compassion. Her thesis rests on the well-worn progressive assumption that liberals are morally enlightened while conservatives are not. It’s a claim she repeats often, without evidence, and this time was no exception.
To set the stage, Clinton cited recent violent protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. In her opening paragraph, she referenced 37-year-old anti-ICE activist Alex Pretti, who was killed during a confrontation with federal agents, using the tragedy to construct a moral indictment of Trump supporters. She wrote, “This crisis also reveals a deeper moral rot at the heart of Trump’s MAGA movement. Whatever you think about immigration policy, how can a person of conscience justify the lack of compassion and empathy for the victims in Minnesota, and for the families torn apart or hiding in fear, for the children separated from their parents or afraid to go to school?”
What Clinton failed to mention is that President Trump expressed compassion for those involved, including Pretti and 37-year-old Renee Good, who also died earlier this month after attempting to obstruct an ICE operation. Empathy, it turns out, is not absent, just inconvenient for Clinton’s narrative.
From there, Clinton turned her attention to several prominent Christian figures. Pastor Ben Garrett was criticized for refusing to endorse open borders or affirm LGBT lifestyles. Christian podcaster and author Allie Beth Stuckey was scolded for warning against “toxic empathy,” the very concept she explored in her 2024 book, “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion.”
Clinton also took aim at “Leadership and the Sin of Empathy,” a book by pastor Joe Rigney, accusing him of being “an ally of the influential Christian nationalist Douglas Wilson.” That label, like much of the op-ed, did more sneering than explaining.
The response from those Clinton targeted was swift and unapologetic. Stuckey and Rigney responded directly on X, both expressing gratitude that Clinton found them objectionable. Wilson, for his part, joked darkly about the number of people in Clinton’s orbit who have died under mysterious circumstances. And Brian Sauvé, a friend of Ben Garrett, summed it up perfectly when he wrote, “I’ve never been more proud of my guy.”
When Hillary Clinton is writing 6,000 word op-eds in the Atlantic attacking warnings against toxic empathy… you know you’re over the target. Keep. Going.
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) January 29, 2026
Hey @canonpress, I'm going to need you to reprint the cover of Leadership and the Sin of Empathy with @HillaryClinton's enthusiastic endorsement. pic.twitter.com/fkKA4QUMYr
— Joe Rigney (@joe_rigney) January 30, 2026
As it now appears that Hillary is aware of my existence, and is not exactly a fan, I wanted to state on the record that I am feeling upbeat, and am not downcast or depressed in any way.
— Douglas Wilson (@douglaswils) January 30, 2026
Hillary Clinton wrote a hit piece that included my friend @tompawnbadil in her list of villains.
I’ve never been more proud of my guy.
— Brian Sauvé (@Brian_Sauve) January 30, 2026
The reactions say it all. For these Christian leaders, earning Clinton’s approval would be far more troubling than her condemnation.
In the end, Clinton positioning herself as an authority on Christianity is almost impressive, if confidence alone counted as credibility. Faith, however, isn’t measured by Atlantic op-eds or progressive applause. And judging by the response, Clinton’s sermon landed exactly where it belongs: ignored, mocked, and rejected.
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