Preacher Jim Wallis warned fellow pastors this week of former President Donald Trump's "takeover" of the Christian church.
On MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday, Wallis, the author of The False White Gospel, said Trump has tried to use religion in his rallies and comments in his ongoing presidential campaign.
"I'm very worried about how the faith factor could be this white Christian nationalism which is idolatrous...it means false worship," Wallis said. "Trump is a sacrilege, he is a blasphemer, all that's true, but I don't want to keep talking about his idolatry."
"A lot of pastors would like to find the true story again. Some have been a part of the political takeover...the political takeover of the church. This is a right-wing political takeover of the church," Wallis, who worked with former President Barack Obama's administration, said.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email for comment.
The Context:
During the 2016 and 2020 elections, Trump received crucial support from white Evangelical Christians. He secured a formidable alliance with White evangelical Christians, who gravitated toward him for his stance on religious freedom and abortion.
Trump held a rally in Iowa in January, where Pastor Joel Tenney delivered an opening prayer and spoke about the need to vote for the former president in the next election.
"We have witnessed a sitting president weaponize the entire legal system to try and steal an election and imprison his leading opponent, Donald Trump, despite committing no crime," Tenney said, according to NBC News. "We must re-elect President Trump for the third time."
What We Know:
Last month, a Fox News poll found Trump slightly losing support from white evangelicals to President Joe Biden. The poll found 28 percent of white evangelical voters siding with Biden in the 2024 presidential race, up from 23 percent in October.
According to the poll, 68 percent of white evangelical voters sided with Trump in the 2024 election. While Trump was still ahead overall, the poll showed support for Biden increasing.
Trump recently announced that he would be selling Bibles published by country singer Lee Greenwood.
Views:
In a recent piece written by Wallis for the Daily Beast, he accused Trump of "idolatry" and "heresy."
"Are Donald Trump's white evangelical followers really ready to own up to their chosen party's plans to suppress the voting rights of their Black and brown brothers and sisters in Christ—even at Black churches as polling places?" he wrote.
What's Next:
Support from white evangelicals and other Christian groups is crucial for the upcoming presidential election. Biden still has a large hold on this base despite Trump's influence.
Update 4/2/24, 8:16 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 4/2/24, 8:42 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
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