The Church of Satan has denounced a judicial nominee who asserted that transgender children are evidence of the reach and success of the devil’s influence in American public life.

Jeff Mateer, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas, made a range of inflammatory comments in a speech delivered in 2015 concerning the LGBT community. In the course of his remarks, Mateer referred to transgender children as evidence of “Satan’s plan,” and expressed concern that the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision — which legalized same-sex marriage — would establish the reign of depravity over the U.S.

“Now, I submit to you, [as] a parent of three children who are now young adults, a first grader really knows what their sexual identity [is]?” he asked during his address. “I mean it just really shows you how Satan’s plan is working and the destruction that’s going on.”

The Church of Satan urged Mateer on Twitter to ignore his “imaginary friends.”

The church describes itself as “the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man’s true nature—that of a carnal beast, living in a cosmos that is indifferent to our existence.”

Mateer has not spoken publicly about his 2015 speech since stories about his comments first appeared in media Wednesday. A confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee has not yet been scheduled.

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