Joshua Divine has argued that Christians are obligated to impose their values on others.LGBTQ NationBy John RussellJuly 25, 2025Senate Republicans confirmed anti-LGBTQ+ Missouri Deputy Solicitor General Joshua Divine to a lifetime seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri on Tuesday.Divine’s appointment was opposed by Senate Democrats and progressive organizations due to his extreme conservative record on abortion and voting rights, HuffPost noted. But Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who usually caucuses with Democrats, joined with Republicans to push Divine’s nomination over the line. King, who supports both reproductive rights and voting rights, did not indicate why he ultimately sided with Republicans on Divine’s appointment.
So there was one Democrat who put religion ahead of the Constitution and voted for a bigot!
In a tip sheet on Divine, progressive judicial advocacy group Alliance for Justice said that he “has built a legal career advancing hardline conservative positions that threaten to significantly undermine core constitutional protections related to civil rights, reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ equality, environmental protections, and immigrant rights.”
The Leadership Conference Education Fund writes,
Mr. Divine does not possess the requisite experience to be a federal judge, and in his limited legal career he has demonstrated significant hostility to our civil and human rights. A 2016 law school graduate, most of his career has either been clerking or working for Senator Josh Hawley. In his short time practicing in the Missouri solicitor general’s office, Mr. Divine has tried to distinguish himself among extreme conservatives by attacking our civil and human rights. As the Missouri attorney general stated in response to the selection of Mr. Divine for the federal bench, Mr. Divine “has been the driving force behind some of the most consequential legal battles [the Missouri attorney general’s] office has taken on”[1]— and he specifically notes “[w]hether it was dismantling the Biden Administration unlawful student loan bailout or shutting down radical attempts to harm Missouri children, Josh brought…leadership every step of the way.”[2] Loyal to the anti-civil rights agenda and the Trump administration, Mr. Divine frequently appeals to the Trump administration in numerous cases. These include suing the Biden administration after they halted construction of President Trump’s southern border wall[3] and suing the state of New York after President Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records, accusing the state of election tampering and claiming that the case was brought for politically motivated reasons to “assist Joseph Biden’s campaign”[4] — and that New York interfered when the “aim of millions of Missourians is to elect Trump to the Presidency.”[5]Even before his time as an attorney, Mr. Divine wrote extensively about conservative issues in extremely problematic ways. He authored nearly 50 columns for his college newspaper on a myriad of topics, some of which are detailed below. The topics also include appallingly calling for required literacy tests to vote,[6] defending the man who murdered Trayvon Martin,[7] and saying that opposition to burdensome voter ID laws is “ridiculous.”[8] During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and in questions for the record, he was asked about his writings and had the opportunity to distance himself from them — but he chose not to. These biases have translated to his legal career, as demonstrated below.
He was groomed for this judgeship... legal career includes clerkships for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Judge William Pryor of the Eleventh Circuit. He has held significant roles such as Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley and Deputy Solicitor General of Missouri. As Solicitor General, Divine has been involved in high-profile cases, including leading Missouri's efforts to challenge federal student loan forgiveness programs and defending state laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors.
I asked ChatGPT, "Has he been biased by his Christian views?" It Replied...
Joshua Divine’s legal career and public record indicate that his Christian conservative views have influenced his positions on certain issues, particularly related to LGBTQ+ rights.* **Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage:** In past writings and legal arguments, Divine has expressed opposition to same-sex marriage, often grounding his views in traditional Christian beliefs about marriage.* **Gender-Affirming Care:** As Missouri’s Deputy Solicitor General and later Solicitor General, he defended state laws restricting gender-affirming medical care for minors. These stances align with socially conservative positions often informed by religious convictions.* **Criticism from Advocacy Groups:** Civil rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations have highlighted that his legal work and public statements reflect a perspective that could be seen as biased against LGBTQ+ rights, often tied to his Christian worldview.* **Judicial Philosophy:** As a nominee for federal judgeships, Divine’s record has been scrutinized for indications that his personal beliefs might influence his judicial decision-making, raising concerns about impartiality in cases involving LGBTQ+ civil rights.In summary, while Divine’s legal and judicial philosophy is rooted in conservative Christian values, which inform his stance on LGBTQ+ issues, whether this constitutes “bias” depends on one’s perspective. Supporters argue he is upholding traditional values and the rule of law, while critics see his actions as discriminatory.
This does not bode well for us. LGBTQ Nation goes on...
In a separate statement, Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju blasted Divine’s confirmation, arguing that it proves that Trump lied to voters when he claimed during his campaign that he would leave decisions about abortion access to the states. Trump, Timmaraju said, “is actively working to eliminate abortion access nationwide.
Surprise, surprise... Trump lied!
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