Which megachurch pastors publicly supported Trump in 2016 and 2020 and what were their explanations?
Executive summary
Several high-profile megachurch pastors publicly backed Donald Trump in 2016 and again in 2020, often framing their support around cultural issues, judicial appointments and a perceived defense of Christianity; exit-polling showed white evangelicals voted overwhelmingly for Trump (about 81% in 2016; ~76% in 2020) [1]. Reporting identifies named megachurch figures — for example Jentezen Franklin and other evangelical leaders who joined Trump’s advisory circles or prayer events — and describes a broader movement of “MAGA” or prophetic pastors who tied Trump to divine purpose [2] [3] [4].
1. Who the megachurch leaders were — a short roll call
Coverage repeatedly cites a cluster of recognizable evangelical and megachurch figures who aligned publicly with Trump: Jentezen Franklin, who leads the multisite Free Chapel and led prayer events and calls giving thanks for Trump [2]; Paula White, a prosperity-gospel pastor who served as Trump’s spiritual adviser and whose church entities show up in reporting about Trump-linked religious networks [5] [6]; and a broader list of “court evangelicals” and megachurch personalities named in surveys and profiles as explaining or defending Trump, including pastors who appeared on Trump platforms or advisory boards [7] [4].
2. Why they said they supported him — the explanations they gave
Those pastors articulated three consistent rationales: cultural defense, policy delivery, and divine mandate. Many framed Trump as a bulwark against what they described as a “godless liberal culture,” praising his judicial picks and policy stances as protection for religious liberty and pro-life goals [1] [2]. Others moved into explicitly spiritual language, arguing Trump carried an “anointing” or was protected by God — a message visible in Christian media and among prophetic or charismatic leaders [4] [8]. Reuters and other outlets report evangelicals crediting Trump with delivering on the economy and courts, which bolstered support despite personal scandals [4] [1].
3. How they communicated support — from pulpits to prayer calls
Support took multiple public forms: formal roles on advisory boards, invitations to the White House, televised endorsements and national prayer calls. Pastors like Paula White served as an official spiritual adviser; others led national online prayer events or hosted Trump at megachurch venues and roundtables, signaling both political and spiritual endorsement to large congregations and audiences [5] [2] [4].
4. The political payoff — evangelicals as a voting bloc
The practical result matched the rhetoric: white evangelical voters were a decisive, heavily pro-Trump bloc. Post‑election and exit polls reported roughly 81% support for Trump among white evangelicals in 2016 and estimates around 76% in 2020 — statistics that contextualize why megachurch endorsements mattered politically [1]. Reporting links the pastors’ public backing with broader mobilization efforts that helped shape those outcomes [2].
5. Competing perspectives inside Christianity
Not all clergy or evangelicals agreed. Mainline and many evangelical leaders pushed back against prophetic and political endorsements from the pulpit; groups of pastors warned about a political “takeover” of the church and criticized tying God to a partisan leader [9] [8]. Christianity Today and other outlets documented both the embrace of Trump by some pastors and concerns from others about mixing partisan advocacy with ministry [2] [8].
6. The role of message and media — prophecy, anointing and messaging
Media coverage highlights a rhetorical shift where some televangelists and charismatic pastors moved from policy arguments to messianic language — invoking anointing or prophetic destiny — amplifying loyalty beyond conventional political conservatism [4] [8]. News outlets flagged this as a distinct phenomenon: a blend of political strategy and spiritual claim-making that helped sustain support after personal controversies [4] [8].
7. Limits and what available reporting does not say
Available sources document named leaders, advisory roles, prayer events and broad rationales for support, but do not provide a comprehensive, definitive roster of “every” megachurch pastor who publicly supported Trump in both 2016 and 2020 (available sources do not mention a full list). Similarly, detailed transcripts of every pastor’s explanation across both campaigns are not aggregated in the cited material (available sources do not mention that aggregation).
8. Bottom line: political strategy wrapped in spiritual framing
Reporting portrays a deliberate coalition: megachurch pastors who publicly backed Trump combined policy praise (economy, judges, pro-life outcomes) with cultural-defense narratives and, for some, prophetic or anointing claims to justify support — a mix that converted pastoral endorsement into measurable electoral influence among white evangelicals [1] [4] [2]. Critics inside and outside the church highlighted the risks of fusing partisan power with spiritual authority [9] [8].