Conservative author and radio host Eric Metaxas heaped some over-the-top praise on President Donald Trump at a prayer event in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.

“They burned parts of the city, including the White House, which at that time ― if you can believe it ― did not yet have a ballroom,” he said as he recapped part of the War of 1812.

The audience laughed at the reference to the ballroom, which Trump has obsessed over for months, often bringing it up unprompted. Earlier this year, Trump even stood during a White House meeting with oil industry executives so he could gaze out the window toward the place where it will be built.

Metaxas then took his flattery up a level.

“Yes, it’s hard to believe that it would take two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand,” he added. “It’s extraordinary. We only had to wait 200 years.”

The audience erupted in cheers and applause.

Metaxas later wrote on X that he was making an “insane joke” and using “sarcastic humor” during his speech at “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving.”

But on social media, critics thought his comments were no laughing matter:

"It's hard to believe that it would take two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand."At last, the ballroom we've all been praying for lo these many years. https://t.co/7QUI78SMNP

God raised up Moses to confront Pharaoh.He raised up David to defeat Goliath.He raised up Esther to save her people from genocide.And now, apparently, He has raised up Trump to build a ballroom onto the White House.Truly the arc of redemptive history bends toward banquet… https://t.co/VA8gDFXOEN

God created America so we would make a ballroom for our wannabe king, says Eric Metaxas. https://t.co/lxXDkWzEBk

Yeah we only had to wait 200 years for the dream of the Founding Fathers to be realized: A Royal Ballroom that King George would be proud of. Nailed it. https://t.co/bp4r1dbhzh

God promised us the ballroom 200 years ago. https://t.co/AERvaywAiZ

All 4 Gospels warn us about this kind of shit and 2,000 years later here we are https://t.co/254nt8F4H1

Rededicate 250 could have been great. Apolitical religious leaders from across the theological spectrum, from Muslims to Evangelicals, dedicating America to God and freedom of worship could have been amazing. Instead we got a 9 hour trump rally from the usual cast of cronies https://t.co/qC17OP71CT

One reason the founders believed in a separation of church and state was that they knew it would corrupt religion to intertwine it with politics; and here we are. https://t.co/NPXvR7oniY

Christian nationalism is a political, spiritual, and moral cancer. Invariably. But in a specifically American context, where so many, maybe even most, self professed Christians are adherents of a phony hucksterism rather than the gospel, it seems especially problematic. https://t.co/oOLJ9LC2lr

So they absolutely refer to it as the Baal room behind closed doors don't they https://t.co/1AwGBCAmKb

I’m so sorry about this, God https://t.co/rk2YjRJzKx

Just flipping through trying to find the verse about a ballroom… https://t.co/PKxaUjq8JD pic.twitter.com/9FRiN9XTMo

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