MAGA Pastor Becomes Uncomfortable When Shown the ‘God Gave Us Trump’ Video

In a recent CNN interview, a famous pastor who supports former President Donald Trump found himself in an awkward situation when confronted with a video published on Trump's Truth Social platform that brazenly declared, "God gave us Trump" to govern the nation. The video, 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 and indicating that Trump uses social media to troll others.

"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 film, 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. The controversial video seemed to have exacerbated Trump's troubles in maintaining support from this critical group, but these concerns also flew out of the window after Trump won in Iowa.

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 idolatry, a sentiment shared by other religious leaders in the state.

The video's release comes at a critical time, right before the Iowa caucuses, when religious leaders' political endorsements typically tend to have a big impact, even though Trump secured a victory recently in the state. The New York Times report also highlighted the case of Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, who supported Governor Ron DeSantis over Trump in the primary contest, indicating a split in the evangelical community. 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. However, this support is not prevailing, as evidenced by the example of Vander Plaats and the concerns expressed by pastors such as Brown and Lubin.