What Evangelical Leaders Really Want

Yesterday Donald Trump posted a quote on his Truth Social account that came from The Washington Post, although he didn’t actually link to the article itself. The quote he referenced was from megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, a huge Trump supporter, and was from an article last week.

The article was entitled “Here’s what the Christian right wants from a second Trump term.” Before I get to the quote that Trump referenced, here are a few other interesting tidbits from the story.

“Donald Trump’s presidency delivered to Christian conservatives some of their most coveted goals: Hundreds of sympathetic judges joined the federal bench. The U.S. Embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem. And the center of gravity on the Supreme Court shifted firmly to the right.”

“But far from declaring victory, those who advocate for a more pronounced role for hard-line conservative Christian doctrine in American public life are actively planning to enact a fresh wave of changes in a second Trump term. Should Trump reclaim the presidency in November, they say, it would represent a historic opportunity to put their interpretation of Christianity at the center of government policy.”

“In 2016, Trump had to overcome the suspicion of conservative Christian leaders that came with being a twice-divorced celebrity who had publicly backed abortion rights and had never exhibited any particular religiosity. He picked Mike Pence, the evangelical Indiana governor, as his running mate in part to assuage worries he wasn’t sufficiently committed to their cause.”

“In 2024, Trump… is considered a proven protector and champion of conservative Christians. He has been afforded wide latitude even when he breaks with their cause, as he did this spring when he declined to endorse a national abortion ban.”

And here’s where the quote that Trump referenced comes in.

“This is not a naive trust — it’s a trust based on a track record,” said Texas megachurch pastor Robert Jeffress, an enthusiastic Trump supporter. “I think what evangelicals agree with is his general narrative that America would be better off if we return to our Judeo-Christian roots. What that looks like — people are willing to give him great leeway on how it would be implemented.”

The fact that Trump would reference such a complimentary quote is to be expected, of course, as nearly every day on Truth Social he will link to an article or MAGA personality praising him in some way.

But this quote from Jeffress speaks volumes, not about Trump, but about Jeffress and what evangelical leaders REALLY want from the next Trump administration.

They don’t care what Trump says or does as long as THEY get what they want. And what they want is power. What they want is Christianity to be the centerpiece of Trump’s agenda.

What they really want is Christian Nationalism. ♦