Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University and a staunch evangelical ally of President Trump’s, came under scrutiny Tuesday from other conservatives after a photo surfaced of him on a yacht with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman.
The photo appeared to be posted on Falwell’s Instagram account, but has since been deleted.
In the photo caption, Falwell sarcastically promised that the beverage in his hand is “just black water in my glass,” adding, “It was a prop only.”
Other photos from his family’s recent vacation remain on the social media platform.
Following Falwell’s post, conservative members of the media took to Twitter to criticize the move.
A screenshot of the picture was first posted by Robert Downen, a religion reporter at The Houston Chronicle. Downden tweeted the picture, adding, “wut is happening.”
“There were already so many good reasons not to entrust your kids to Jerry Falwell Jr’s learning institution. The unzipped pants yacht photo — of the school’s PRESIDENT — is sadly the least of them,” tweeted S.E. Cupp, a conservative host for CNN.
Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), also tweeted: “How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real? Also if you’re running the largest Christian university in America maybe don’t put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht — with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical.”
A Liberty University spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
The university subjects its students to a strict code of conduct, prohibiting premarital sex and the consumption of media that includes “lewd lyrics, anti-Christian messages, sexual content, nudity, pornography, etc.”