Many of the conservative Christian leaders and groups that embraced former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged are now amplifying his claims that America’s justice system is rigged following his conviction on 34 felony counts.
“Our whole country is being rigged right now,” Trump said outside the courtroom. House Speaker Mike Johnson, an evangelical Christian, backed Trump, calling the trial a “purely political exercise.”
As Christianity Today put it: “Guilty Verdict Shakes Trump Supporters’ Faith — in the Justice System.”
CT cited a recent poll in which nine in 10 white evangelical voters said a guilty verdict in the hush money trial would make no difference in their vote or would make them more likely to back Trump. CT also cited numerous Christian leaders who’ve criticized the verdict, including Southern Baptist pastor and televangelist Robert Jeffress.
Andrew Walker
Andrew Walker, associate dean in Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s School of Theology, said the verdicts “may drive people to the polls with greater fervor.” Walker was unique in calling Trump’s crimes “wrong and inexcusable.”
It’s called “lawfare,” the abuse of the legal system for political ends. Politicians of all stripes claim prosecutions of them are political, but Trump has taken such claims to new lows, and his ardent Christian followers are backing him up.
Even the term “lawfare” fails to capture the awfulness of the Trump verdicts, said Fox News host Jeanine Pirro. “We have gone over a cliff in America,” she said. “Lawfare is far too soft. It’s far too benign. This is warfare.”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham was equally grim: “What happens if a critical mass of America just no longer believes that the rule of law and the justice system means anything anymore?”
Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk of the ultra-MAGA Turning Point USA called for investigations of Democrats. “How many Republican DAs or AG’s have stones?” he said in an online post, adding, “Indict the left, or lose America.”
Gary Bauer of the James Dobson Family Institute said: “This politically motivated and stacked trial is what we have come to expect in communist China or North Korea — not in the United States of America. … The totalitarian impulse of the neo-Marxist Left is to suppress and silence political opposition using any means necessary.”
Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, previously questioned election results and now questions the guilty verdicts, wondering “whether our legal system can be trusted” and asking for prayer.
Graham’s post brought a satirical counter-post from never-Trumper George Conway: “Please pray that God restores our right to pay off porn stars to hush them up and to create fake records to cover up the payoff.”
Tony Perkins
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council agreed with former Trump administrator Ben Carson in saying the convictions came from “a kangaroo court.”
Pro-Trump prophets were quick to let their audiences know God is just as upset about the Trump verdicts as they are. The team behind the FlashPoint TV program and road show had to interrupt host Gene Bailey’s beach vacation to dispense the latest prophetic insights.
Pro-Trump prophet and pastor Hank Kunneman spelled it out: “God said there would be a boomerang. Those who would seek for indictments, they themselves would be indicted. Those that would bring accusations, the accusations would boomerang and would be turned on them.”
Comparing Trump to Daniel in the lion’s den, Kunneman said: “President Trump has been thrown to the lions … but God is going to close the mouths of these absolute lunatics.”
The pro-Trump prophets suggested Bailey quit going on so many vacations during moments of prophetic import. Bailey was also on break when the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago.
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