CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A controversial, unscripted moment during a skit at Calallen High School has sparked concern and controversy.
The student, Joseph Salinas III says he has no regrets about the incident, and also believes this wouldn't be an issue if former President Donald Trump wasn't so divisive.
The moment looked like part of the show. During the skit, featuring a student dressed as Donald Trump, another student, dressed as Jesus “declared” for the Republican Party.
“It was great that Jesus came up,” said Salinas. “Everybody knows a hardcore conservative's favorite people are Donald Trump and Jesus Christ.”
In the skit, Salinas, as Trump, suggested building a wall around Tuloso-Midway High School, Calallen's rival. He says it was part of a school tradition.
“It's called Senior Dress Up Day,” said Salinas. “We dress up as what we want, we get a skit, it gets approved, just like mine. We all got approved.”
Salinas' script didn't include an appearance from ‘Jesus’. He says the moment was completely ad-libbed.
“He told me to shout him out, I shouted him out,” said Salinas. “He came up and I'm glad he did. It was spontaneous and it was great."
That spontaneous moment went viral on social media. Comments from across the country, condemned the moment, calling it ‘racist'. Salinas says it wasn’t racist, and thinks he knows why there’s so much controversy.
“I think the only reason it's offensive to people is because it's Donald Trump,” said Salinas.
A previous version of this story cited Salinas as saying the teacher who approved his script had been forced to retire. Early Wedenesday, Calallen ISD Superintendent Dr. Arturo Almandarez left a message saying that "no teacher at Calallen has retired, or has been asked to retire, or resign, or whatever because of that unfortunate skit that took place."
