Heated Romney Interview on Mormonism Resurfaces, Drawing Attention (Video)

A heated discussion on religion between Mitt Romney and an Iowa radio host from 2007 has resurfaced online and is gathering steam on social media.

Taped during Romney’s first presidential run on Aug. 4, 2007, the five-minute video features Romney defending his views to conservative radio host Jan Mickelson, who had challenged the candidate on air regarding his stance on abortion. Thus begins a tense conversation about Romney’s faith that continues after the show concludes its national broadcast.

“Throughout the Bible, Christ appears in Jerusalem, splits the Mount of Olives to stop the war that’s coming in to kill all the Jews. Our Church believes that,” Romney presses, then explains how he reconciles his personal beliefs with his politics.

“I’m not running to talk about Mormonism,” the agitated candidate later says before getting up from his chair and heading toward the exit.

The video has been a hot topic on Twitter since being uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday. Alyssa Milano has tweeted it to her 2.2 million followers, and film critic Roger Ebert and Graham Linehan, the Irish TV writer behind hit U.K. comedy The IT Crowd, have posted it, as well. Linehan then went on a lengthy tear, satirizing Romney’s beliefs.