A Christian organization has launched a petition criticizing comments by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and calling on a religious broadcasting network to take action against his remarks.
The petition, which was created by the Faithful America Christian organization, says that Huckabee recently made comments about former President Donald Trump and the charges he is facing in Georgia.
"After Trump was indicted on criminal charges by a Georgia grand jury, Huckabee—a Southern Baptist pastor and former Arkansas governor—claimed on his talk show that the legal proceedings were an attempt to 'destroy Trump in the courthouse rather than at the ballot box,'" Faithful America said.
Huckabee this month spoke about Trump's Georgia indictment in which he is charged with violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
During a show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Huckabee criticized President Joe Biden, saying that the indictments against Trump were a planned attack and said, "If these tactics end up working to keep Trump from winning or even running in 2024, it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than bullets."
The petition created by Faithful America calls on the Trinity Broadcasting Network to "take action to prevent the airing of conspiracy theories and threats in Jesus's name." The petition also notes that the Trinity Broadcasting Network was called "America's most-watched faith network" by Nielsen Ratings.
"As Americans and as your siblings in Christ, we reject these false accusations and threats," the petition said. "Instead of partisan hatred, authoritarian fear, and political violence, please direct Governor Huckabee and other on-air TBN personalities to promote Christ-like love, hope, and peace."
In a statement to Newsweek, Karli Wallace Thompson, Faithful America's digital campaigner about the petition, said: "Implicit threats of violence like Huckabee's have no place on 'America's most-watched faith network.' The reality that he and others like him refuse to face is that Trump was indicted four times in accordance with the law by regular Americans fulfilling their civic duty with integrity, bravery and wisdom."
"So it's time for him to condemn the violence, or he needs to be removed from TBN by the network's leadership."
As of Wednesday, the petition has garnered more than 15,000 signatures with a goal of 20,000.
Huckabee is not the only Republican to criticize the indictments of Trump, as former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin made similar remarks in August.
"Those who are conducting this travesty and creating this two-tier system of justice, I want to ask them what the heck, do want us to be in civil war? Because that's what's going to happen," Palin said during an interview with Newsmax, adding that "we do need to rise up and take our country back."
Newsweek reached out to the Trinity Broadcasting Network through its website for comment.
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