MAGA Pastor Says Trump Understands the Bible Better Than the Pope – Yes, Seriously

At this point, parts of the MAGA movement aren’t even trying to keep a boundary between politics and religion. One of the more striking examples came this week when Robert Jeffress one of Donald Trump’s most loyal evangelical supporters appeared on Fox News and argued that Trump understands the Bible better than Pope Leo XIV.

Not as a metaphor or a political jab he meant it literally.

Jeffress made the claim while defending Trump’s growing dispute with the pope. The tension followed the pope’s broad criticism of war and violence, which Trump seemed to take personally amid backlash over his military actions toward Iran. Trump fired back by calling the pope “weak on crime” and accusing him of siding with the “radical left,” effectively casting even the head of the Catholic Church as part of a political opposition.

Jeffress echoed that framing. He described the pope as sincere but “wrong” on Iran, then pivoted into a broader argument about the separation of roles between church and state. According to him, religion exists to guide people spiritually, while government exists to confront wrongdoing and protect citizens.

Then he went further. Jeffress said he had been in the Oval Office with Trump shortly after a joint U.S.-Israeli military operation and claimed that experience convinced him Trump has a stronger grasp of biblical teaching on governance than the pope himself. He even called it “ironic” that Trump, in his view, better understands scripture in this context.

That moment captures something larger than just one television appearance. A pastor publicly asserting that Trump who has often struggled to discuss basic elements of scripture has a deeper understanding of Christianity than the pope would once have seemed far-fetched. In certain political circles today, however, it’s met with approval rather than skepticism.

What this reflects is a broader shift in parts of evangelical politics, where alignment with Trump can outweigh traditional markers of religious authority or theological consistency. Criticism of war from a religious leader can be dismissed as political bias, while aggressive policy decisions by a political figure can be framed as morally or even biblically justified.

For some of Trump’s religious allies, the framing has evolved to the point where he is not just defended as a political leader, but portrayed as someone whose actions carry a kind of higher justification. That shift highlights how deeply intertwined political loyalty and religious messaging have become in this space.

Here is the video –

Pastor Robert Jeffress: "It looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches than the Pope" pic.twitter.com/TMSyTmdeTE

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 9, 2026

Joseph Johnson

They say not everyone has the gift of gab to be able to talk about politics in the correct light - but Joseph is the perfect mix between a healthy critic, and a realist cynic. His unique personality works wonders at political discussions which are bound to cause a stir. He is an intellectual with many years of experience in the field, and his work is a reflection of his dedication to making political scenarios common knowledge among the citizens of the nation.