Content Advisory: This article discusses religion, war, political rhetoric, and public backlash involving faith leaders. Reader discretion is advised.
Fox News viewers erupted after Pastor Robert Jeffress made a jaw-dropping claim about Donald Trump and the Bible.
Jeffress appeared on Fox News on Friday, May 8, while discussing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV. The Dallas pastor, who leads First Baptist Church and has supported Trump since 2016, argued that the president has a stronger grasp of scripture than the Pope.
That did not land quietly. “It looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has,” Jeffress said. The comment instantly set off viewers online, with critics accusing the pastor of placing political loyalty above religion.
Pastor Says Trump Understands Bible Better Than Pope
Jeffress has been one of Trump’s most loyal evangelical allies for years. He served on Trump’s evangelical advisory board and previously delivered a sermon for him on the morning of his first inauguration.
During the Fox appearance, Jeffress defended Trump’s approach to Iran and said he had visited the Oval Office with Trump and other faith leaders three days after the U.S. went to war with Iran on February 28.
“I thanked him then for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation,” Jeffress said. He also criticized Pope Leo XIV’s position on Iran, saying, “The pope is a good man, he’s sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran.” Jeffress added that “the role of government is to protect citizens from evil doers.”
Viewers Tell Pastor To ‘Repent’
The backlash was immediate.
One X user wrote that it was “incredible” how quickly right-wing Christians were willing to turn away from God and Jesus in order to support Trump. Another user said Jeffress’ claim was “the purest example of loyalty eclipsing theology.” “It’s not a statement about scripture; it’s a statement about allegiance,” the person wrote. A third critic compared the reaction to blind devotion, writing that even if Jesus said Trump was wrong, MAGA supporters would still insist Trump understood the Gospel better.
One especially furious viewer directly addressed Jeffress, calling him a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and telling him to “repent.” “Repent!!!” the user wrote. “You’re an old man, there’s not much time left before you’ll meet your maker.”
Jeffress Has Made Controversial Claims Before
Trump has praised Jeffress in the past, calling him “a wonderful man” and promoting his 2017 book, ‘A Place Called Heaven’.
The pastor has also made controversial comments about the use of force. In 2017, he argued that Romans 13 gave Trump moral authority to use military power, including war or assassination, against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. That history made his latest Fox News comments even more explosive for critics.
For Jeffress, the argument is about government’s duty to fight evil. For furious viewers, it sounded like something else entirely: a pastor telling millions of people that Trump reads the Bible better than the Pope.
