President Donald Trump nominated Russell Vought to be Deputy Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, but Bernie Sanders isn't happy about it. National Review has the transcription of an eye-opening dialogue between Sanders and Vought during the Senate Budget Committee hearing on his nomination, which shows that Sanders has no regard for the Constitution. Here's what happened:

Sanders: Let me get to this issue that has bothered me and bothered many other people. And that is in the piece that I referred to that you wrote for the publication called Resurgent. You wrote, “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ, His Son, and they stand condemned.” Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?

Vought: Absolutely not, Senator. I’m a Christian, and I believe in a Christian set of principles based on my faith. That post, as I stated in the questionnaire to this committee, was to defend my alma mater, Wheaton College, a Christian school that has a statement of faith that includes the centrality of Jesus Christ for salvation, and . . . 

Sanders: I apologize. Forgive me, we just don’t have a lot of time. Do you believe people in the Muslim religion stand condemned? Is that your view? 

Vought: Again, Senator, I’m a Christian, and I wrote that piece in accordance with the statement of faith at Wheaton College.

Sanders: I understand that. I don’t know how many Muslims there are in America. Maybe a couple million. Are you suggesting that all those people stand condemned? What about Jews? Do they stand condemned too?

Vought: Senator, I’m a Christian . . . 

Sanders (shouting): I understand you are a Christian, but this country are made of people who are not just — I understand that Christianity is the majority religion, but there are other people of different religions in this country and around the world. In your judgment, do you think that people who are not Christians are going to be condemned?

Vought: Thank you for probing on that question. As a Christian, I believe that all individuals are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect regardless of their religious beliefs. I believe that as a Christian that’s how I should treat all individuals . . . 

Sanders: You think your statement that you put into that publication, they do not know God because they rejected Jesus Christ, His Son, and they stand condemned, do you think that’s respectful of other religions?

Vought: Senator, I wrote a post based on being a Christian and attending a Christian school that has a statement of faith that speaks clearly in regard to the centrality of Jesus Christ in salvation. 

Sanders: I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who this country is supposed to be about. 

Let's take a step back and remember that this man came very, very close to being the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. Then, after that shudder passes, let's look more closely at his attack on Vought. Constitutional attorney David French wrote that this exchange shows that Sanders is "not only imposing a religious test for public office in direct violation of Article VI of the United States Constitution, he’s gone so far as to label this decent man — who’s seeking to serve his country in a vital role — as 'not someone who this country is supposed to be about.' Vought expressed entirely orthodox Christian beliefs. There is nothing 'extreme' about his statements, and they mirror the statements of faith of countless Christian churches and schools across the land." Mind you, this happened even though Trump's nominee has never violated the legal rights of Muslims, ever.  

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen ridiculously piled on, claiming that “no one” was questioning Vought’s religion. Hollen is, unsurprisingly, a Democrat, too.

It's ironic that Sanders is so numb to religious concerns after his reaction to a 2016 email leak. The emails showed Democrats were going to use the fact that he was a Jewish atheist to get votes for Hillary during the 2016 President campaign. (Sanders says he's not an atheist, by the way.) "I mean, it is an outrage and sad that you would have people in important positions in the DNC trying to undermine my campaign," Sanders said. "It goes without saying the function of the DNC is to represent all of the candidates, to be fair and even-minded."

Here's a news flash to Sanders: religious freedom belongs to conservative Christians too.  

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore on Flickr