A MAGA Pastor Once Became Uncomfortable When Shown the ‘God Gave Us Trump’ Video

In a CNN interview, a famous pastor who supports former President Donald Trump found himself in an awkward situation when confronted with a video the latter shared on his Truth Social platform. The video, made by a fan and dubbed 'God Made Trump,' has provoked debate among church leaders, especially in Iowa, ahead of the crucial caucuses.

During the conversation, host Poppy Harlow presented a video and asked Pastor Travis Decker, a Trump supporter, about his reaction. Decker attempted to disassociate Trump from the video, stating that the former President did not make it himself.

"He has very clearly stated behind the scenes that he is the, uh, you know, that he has the fear of God," Decker said, as reported by Raw Story. "You know, he's not there yet, as far as I'm concerned. I would love to see him... grow more of a conscience in a lot of areas, but I think he has a proven track record of being a good president, especially on abortion." Despite this, the video has gone viral and sparked criticism for depicting Trump as a heavenly person chosen by God to restore the nation.

According to The New York Times, the clip, which replicates the voice of late conservative radio presenter Paul Harvey, portrays Trump as a shepherd to mankind, drawing comparisons between the former President and biblical terminology. The video has received millions of views, but it has sparked backlash, particularly among Iowa's Christian leaders.

Pastor Joseph Brown of Marion Avenue Baptist Church in Washington, Iowa, voiced major concern over the video's use of biblical terminology to explicitly connect Trump and God. Brown, a Trump voter in 2016 and 2020, declared that he would not vote for Trump again. His comments echo the anxiety of Iowa's influential Christian population, which includes more than three-quarters of Christians and 28% of evangelicals.

Religious leaders' opinions, such as Brown's, have significant weight in Iowa, which is known for playing an important role in defining the political landscape as a result of the state's early caucus. Historically, evangelical voters have had a significant impact on Iowa's primary elections. Having said that, concerns about how such videos would impact Trump also flew out of the window after he won in the Iowa caucuses, when religious leaders' political endorsements have a certain sway.

Nonetheless, Tim Lubinus, executive director of the Iowa Baptist Convention and a supporter of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, raised worry about idolatry among Trump fans. He noted that some followers appeared to blindly back Trump, verging on unnecessary idolatry behavior, a sentiment seemingly shared by other religious leaders in the state at the time. Still, Trump, despite his infrequent attendance at church services, was able to earn the support of a substantial segment of the nation's faithful, notably non-traditional, non-churchgoing Christians. 

This article was originally published on 1.16.24.