The far-left Elitist Media will, from time to time, spotlight Christian Democrats whose ideas align with the left and cast them as role models. This has recently been the case with the Reverend Raphael Warnock and part-time seminarian James Talarico,. It is now time for the Reverend Adam Hamilton, Democrat Senate nominee from Kansas, to get his national close-up.
Jon Karl of ABC traveled to Kansas and met with Hamilton for This Week. The purpose of this interview is to establish Hamilton as a reasonable centrist. To that end, Karl set him up to offer his “both liberal and conservative” talking point:
ABC’s @JonKarl cues up Kansas Democratic Senate candidate @RevAdamHamilton: “I’ve heard you say, I think it is, ‘I am a liberal and I am a conservative.’ What do you mean by that?”
Hamilton: “To be liberal means to be generous of spirit and open to seeing things with new eyes.… pic.twitter.com/G491gTDqtB— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 11, 2026
JON KARL: This is a conservative state, this is a Republican state. I've heard you say, I think it is, I -- I’m a liberal and I am a conservative.
ADAM HAMILTON: Yeah, absolutely.
KARL: What do you mean by that?
HAMILTON: Yeah, well, to be liberal means to be generous of spirit and open to seeing things with new eyes. Everybody should be that. To be conservative means to hold onto things that are treasures, that conserve values. Everybody should be that.
And so, I tell people, all of us are more liberal compared to somebody and we're conservative compared to somebody else. It means the willingness to listen, to understand, and to hold together both of these values.
And I've been a Republican. I've been a Democrat. You know, I value things in the Republican Party. I value things in the Democratic Party.
And it's not that you don't stand anywhere. It's that you try to say, OK, let's bring the best of these two parties together to really solve problems.
KARL: When were you a Republican?
HAMILTON: Most of my life, actually.
KARL: Really?
HAMILTON: Yeah.
After this world salad, Hamilton goes on to note that he was a Republican before switching parties for Obama, switching back afterwards in order to vote in closed Republican primaries in a deeply Republican state, before switching back in order to run for Senate. Karl let Hamilton speak comfortably, with little to no interruption.
The entirety of this interview transpired this way, with Adam pontificating under Karl’s approving gaze. The only policy discussion came after a rebuttal of Vice President JD Vance’s recent rally speech in Kansas, and it was on transgender issues.
ABC’s @JonKarl cues up Kansas Democratic Senate candidate @RevAdamHamilton: “I’ve heard you say, I think it is, ‘I am a liberal and I am a conservative.’ What do you mean by that?”
Hamilton: “To be liberal means to be generous of spirit and open to seeing things with new eyes.… pic.twitter.com/G491gTDqtB— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) October 11, 2026
KARL: One issue they like to talk about a lot is transgender issues. What’s your approach to those issues?
HAMILTON: Yes. Well, first of all, I don’t believe that men should be competing in women’s sports. I believe that there are two genders. I believe that people may see themselves in different ways, but I believe that there are two biological genders. And then people might identify in different ways.
Here’s what I say. Here’s what I think. Two things. First of all, the president has taken a group of people that represent a very tiny minority of people who are bullied and picked on and harassed, and he’s tried to make them a campaign issue, and he’s trying to use them in order to somehow make the case that people should be afraid of trans people, as well as Democrats. And I think that, again, is pathetic. I don’t -- we’re not a nation that believes in bullying people. Our president believes in bullying people. Even in his own party, or the press, or trans people.
And here’s, for me, what it comes down to. I don’t fully understand everything there is to know about trans issues. I know that there are people, when they’re hurt, I’m going to stand by them and I’m going to say, it’s not OK to hurt people. That’s not what it looks like to love your neighbor.
Note that Hamilton embraced the 80% issue (no men in women’s sports) but remained silent on trans hormones and surgery for minors. Instead of speaking forcefully for children, he lamented “bullying.” Karl moves on to the next topic without a followup. Interesting, given Hamilton’s own vacillations on the issue of trans treatment for minors. Per the Daily Wire:
Largely silent on the issue of transgenderism on the campaign trail, Kansas Democrat Senate candidate Adam Hamilton’s past comments unearthed by The Daily Wire shed light on how he handled the issue as a pastor. Hamilton, a liberal pastor in the United Methodist Church, once told his church that he was unsure if he should encourage parents to embrace their child’s gender-confusion
.…
When pushed on the issue of transgenderism in recent months, Hamilton’s campaign has claimed he opposes gender surgeries on kids and boys competing in girls’ sports. “But no one should attack or demean a small and vulnerable group of people just to score political points,” campaign spokesman Tyson Brody said. “Adam thinks Washington spends far more energy on this issue than on the things Kansans actually lose sleep over, like fixing health care or lowering costs.”
Karl could’ve chosen to drill down on this but didn’t. Instead, he went with a soft impeachment question and closed out by asking Hamilton whether he’d continue to preach if elected.
Another long campaign infomercial passed off as an interview, three weeks away from a midterm election.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, October 11th,. 2026:
JON KARL: And it is those 31 percent of Republicans who voted for Trump and now say they don’t approve of his job as president, that Democrats like Adam Hamilton in Kansas are trying to win over in deep red states. So, here is my interview with the pastor hoping to be the first Democrat to win a Kansas Senate seat in nearly a century.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KARL: So, obviously, Trump carried Kansas three times. Huge margins every time. Why do you think they may vote for a Democrat this time around?
ADAM HAMILTON: Yes, well, first of all, that supports eroding in Kansas, so he's underwater here.But if you look across the state, the normal supporters for Trump -- you know, ag is a big supporter, have been a big supporter. They're paying $6.40 a gallon for diesel fuel. They've doubled the price of their fertilizer.You know, again and again and again, people who have been strong supporters of Trump are paying the price for decisions made in Washington, D.C. that are harming them, and they're starting to say, “Hey, this is not OK.”And they're not, you know, champions for the president right now, but they especially don't like a senator who only is the president's yes man. He just -- he, you know, recites what the president says. You know, he doesn't stand up for them.And I think they feel like, where's the champion for us? You know, we might have voted for Trump, but we need a senator who's going to say, Mr. President, you know, this is not good for my people, and he's not doing that.
KARL: Because this is a conservative state, this is a Republican state. I've heard you say, I think it is, I -- I’m a liberal and I am a conservative.
HAMILTON: Yeah, absolutely.
KARL: What do you mean by that?
HAMILTON: Yeah, well, to be liberal means to be generous of spirit and open to seeing things with new eyes. Everybody should be that. To be conservative means to hold onto things that are treasures, that conserve values. Everybody should be that.And so, I tell people, all of us are more liberal compared to somebody and we're conservative compared to somebody else. It means the willingness to listen, to understand, and to hold together both of these values.And I've been a Republican. I've been a Democrat. You know, I value things in the Republican Party. I value things in the Democratic Party.And it's not that you don't stand anywhere. It's that you try to say, OK, let's bring the best of these two parties together to really solve problems.
KARL: When were you a Republican?
HAMILTON: Most of my life, actually.
KARL: Really?
HAMILTON: Yeah.
KARL: So when did you stop?
HAMILTON: I was -- I became a Democrat during the Obama administration, when he was running. And so for eight years, I was a Democrat.He asked me to preach his second inauguration, the prayer service following that. I served in his administration for a couple of years.But then I went back to being a Republican. You're in Kansas, and if you're going to vote in the primary, most of the time, you're going to vote for Republicans.And usually, I was trying to find moderates, people who had character, people who would represent my values.And then I got in the voting booth, and I have always said, I want to try to find people in both parties I'm going to vote for. I'm looking for competency and character and values.And so, I voted for people on both sides, and I'm proud to be a Democrat. But what matters to me more than the letter behind your name is who you are, what you stand for, your character. And -- and I think there's a lot of people like that in our state.
KARL: And I've heard you say that the geographic center of the Lower 48 is in Kansas.
HAMILTON: Yeah, absolutely, exactly. Lebanon, Kansas, is the geographic center. And I love that because we are the heartland of America. We are the middle of our country.And, you know, I think we tend to be cautious about the people who are on the extremes on either of the -- you know, of the coasts. And I think Kansas has a chance to send a message to America to say, look, we got to come together, we got to work together.I'll only get elected with Republicans voting for me.
KARL: But I heard you say last month, exact quote here, “There's a lot of things that we see in the National Democratic Party that in Kansas just don't fly.”
HAMILTON: Yeah, exactly.
KARL: “That's not who we are.”So what are those things?
HAMILTON: Yeah. Well, so for example, you know, I was asked when I got into this race, are you a socialist or a communist? And I'm like, no, I'm just an independent-minded Democrat who cares about people and cares about our country.And so in Kansas, you know, if you're going to be a Democratic socialist, you're not going to get elected here. It’s just -- that's not going to fly in Kansas.You know, I think over-regulation of things is one of those things.I get asked this a lot by -- from the Ag committee. Ag team, they’re like -- the Ag industry. They're like, just tell me, I like you a lot. I want to vote for you, but are you going to be in favor of overregulation?
Like, of course not. I think there needs to be, you know, enough regulation to keep people safe from our worst instincts. And at the same time, I don't want to overregulate anything.I think people are looking for in Kansas a pragmatism. They're looking for leaders who are going to care for both Republicans and Democrats and are going to fight for them all and going to fight for what's best for Kansas.So I get asked, like, if Chuck Schumer tells you to do something, what are you going to do? And my answer is, if it's good for Kansas, I'm all in. But if it's bad for Kansas, I'm a hard no.
KARL: In fact, you've said you won't support Schumer for leader.
HAMILTON: Yeah, no, no disrespect, you know, do I mean by that. But we need fresh ideas, we need fresh people. And Kansas --
KARL: Who would you like? Who would you like to see the Democratic leader in the Senate?
HAMILTON: I think there's a lot of great people that could be in that position. I think Tim Kaine is one of those guys I really respect. I think Mark Kelly is another one, Elissa Slotkin.There's a number of people who I think are standing in that center ground, and they are thoughtful, reflective people who I think could do a great job in the leadership role.
KARL: The vice president came to campaign --
HAMILTON: Yeah.
KARL: -- against you.
HAMILTON: I consider that a great compliment that the second most powerful man in America came here to try to save Roger Marshall. I thought, okay.
KARL: But he really went after you.
HAMILTON: He did.
KARL: I mean, he said -- he called your views left-wing radicalism, dressed in the skin suit of our religion.
HAMILTON: Yeah.
KARL: Saying that -- of your religion, a view of your beliefs, that is not Christianity. This was the president -- the vice president of the United States --
HAMILTON: Yeah.
KARL: -- taking aim at your religious practice.
HAMILTON: Yeah.
KARL: You’re a pastor, very large congregation.
HAMILTON: Right.
KARL: What did you make of that?
HAMILTON: Right. Well, I thought it was a sign of desperation. And I thought it was really sad. It was pathetic. He doesn’t know me. Doesn’t know anything about my faith. He came in attacking -- you know, when did we start attacking people’s faith?But beyond that, I just say, I wake up every morning. I slip to my knees. I offer my life to Christ. I pray for the Holy Spirit to lead me. I read scripture. I carry the Bible with me everywhere I go. I mean this is just -- it is my defining story. I memorize it. I was reading the Psalms this morning, three of them, before I started my day.I not only seek to be a follower of Jesus, but to practice that in how I treat other people. And I just would say, examine my life, examine the way I’ve tried to live, and then I want to see, Mr. Vice President, let’s compare. Let’s compare theology. Let’s compare our faith and the impact we’re having on the world. And I just -- I mean, I don’t even want to compare myself to him. I just want to say, I’m doing the best I can as a follower of Jesus Christ every day. And I thought it was a sad statement that the vice president of the United States would come here and attack the faith of a pastor of the largest church in the state of Kansas, the largest united methodist church in the country. I’ve written 36 books on theology, faith and scripture, and I just think it was a sign of desperation.
KARL: Well, let’s look specifically at what he said. Another quote, “Democratic Pastor Adam Hamilton --
JD VANCE: Thinks it’s a sin to be white and a sin to raise cattle and eat meat. But he’s OK with supporting groups that spit on God-fearing Americans and mock everything that we hold dear. Ladies and gentlemen, that is not Christianity.
HAMILTON: Yes, so every single line of what you just read was a lie. It was a falsehood. It was like 180 degrees different from the reality. So, there was no part of what he said was true. And, I, you know, I find it interesting.
KARL: Let’s try to break it down.
HAMILTON: Yes. And so --
KARL: A sin to be white?
HAMILTON: No, it’s not a sin to be white. This is --
KARL: A sin to raise cattle and eat meat?
HAMILTON: No, it’s not a sin to raise cattle and eat meat. So, there was a sermon that I talked about, repenting is changing the way you think about things. It’s seeing -- literally the Greek word is metanoia (ph) for repent. It means to see -- have a change of mind that leads to a change of heart that leads to a change of behavior.And I talked about racism. And in the context of racism, you know, part of what you’re trying to do is see the world through somebody else’s eyes. I never talked about repenting for being white. You can’t find that in anything I’ve ever said. Or repenting for eating beef.I will just say, that’s what’s wrong with our country today, with our politics, with what’s happening in Washington, D.C., it’s a reminder of the corruption and the chaos that’s happening there that the vice president is willing to say things like that.
KARL: One issue they’d like to talk about a lot is transgender issues. What’s your approach to those issues?
HAMILTON: Yes. Well, first of all, I don’t believe that men should be competing in women’s sports. I believe that there are two genders. I believe that people may see themselves in different ways, but I believe that there are two biological genders. And then people might identify in different ways.Here’s what I say. Here’s what I think. Two things. First of all, the president has taken a group of people that represent a very tiny minority of people who are bullied and picked on and harassed, and he’s tried to make them a campaign issue, and he’s trying to use them in order to somehow make the case that people should be afraid of trans people, as well as Democrats. And I think that, again, is pathetic. I don’t -- we’re not a nation that believes in bullying people. Our president believes in bullying people. Even in his own party, or the press, or trans people.And here’s, for me, what it comes down to. I don’t fully understand everything there is to know about trans issues. I know that there are people, when they’re hurt, I’m going to stand by them and I’m going to say, it’s not OK to hurt people. That’s not what it looks like to love your neighbor.
KARL: So, looking ahead, what -- if Democrats win the House and the Senate --
HAMILTON: Yes.
KARL: What do you think the last two years of Trump’s presidency looks like?
HAMILTON: Well, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about whether we’re going to win the House and the Senate. I’m focused on Kansas and trying to take care of the needs of the people here.I do think that, for me, I’m not in favor of trying to spend two years in trials and looking at, you know, how are we going to get vengeance on people? You know --
KARL: I (INAUDIBLE) impeachment.
HAMILTON: Well, the House may choose to impeach and the Senate has to deal with it if they do. But my real focus is, how do we fix the problems we have today?
KARL: One last question. I -- I’ve seen that you’ve said that you will still be a practicing pastor if you become senator, or be part-time?
HAMILTON: Yes. Yes, very part time.
KARL: Yes. Yes.
HAMILTON: So, my full-time job will be the Senate.
KARL: And, by the way, there are others that have done that.
HAMILTON: Yes. Yes. Rafael Warnock’s doing that right now and --
KARL: Yes. And I think -- I think Lankford does. Yes, yes, yes.
HAMILTON: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. So, yes, I, you know, I'm going to Washington not to be the chaplain of the Senate or to somehow force my religion on other people. I’m going to fight for the Constitution and the rights of all people.When I come back to Kansas City, I look forward to preaching once in a while at Resurrection. I look forward to helping mentor our next generation of leaders.And I’ll tell you this too, showing up at the hospital to care for people who are sick, sitting with people who are dying in hospice, listening to people’s problems will make me a better senator than people like Roger Marshall, who never come back and listen to the people of Kansas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KARL: Our thanks to Adam Hamilton.We requested an interview with Senator Roger Marshall. He did not respond.
