Trump supporters hold prayer conference call with former president to support him following his arraignment

A group of Christian leaders who have been faithful supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump since his 2016 election held a conference call on Tuesday to pray for and encourage him after his arraignment in New York City. 

The prayer call was led by American televangelist Paula White-Cain and joined by Pastor Jim Garlow; Dave Kubal, from Intercessors for America; Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Dr. Tim Clinton, president of the American Association of Christian Counselors; Michele Bachmann; former U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker; Pastor Jentezen Franklin; Dr. James Dobson; Eric Metaxas, and Sean Feucht, and Trump, himself. 

Jenny Korn of the National Faith Advisory Board began the call by introducing the leaders and the speakers, who would be asked to pray. She then handed the call over to Evangelical pastor, author and televangelist Jentezen Franklin. 

Franklin addressed Trump directly, telling him, “We just want you to know from the faith community how much we love you.” 

“You’re on our hearts and you’re in our prayers,” he said.

White-Cain spoke next, recounting how she had met Trump after he watched some of her sermons, and how she has watched him over the years to be “a great father, husband, boss, businessman, godly friend, entertainer and ultimately president.” 

White-Cain stated that Americans of faith are “deeply concerned about the direction and challenges” facing the United States. She also decried the weaponizing of the judicial system “against a political opponent.” 

Next, Trump made a general address, referring to the people on the call as “incredible people, the most respected people I know.” 

He reaffirmed his long friendship with White-Cain before pointing to his record of appointing judges and Supreme Court justices who are pro-life, saying his success in doing so was “something that nobody thought possible.” 

Trump noted that people of faith are “being discriminated against,” but that he is “fighting very hard for the people of our country.” 

“I’m fighting very hard for people of religion, people that believe in God, people that believe in faith,” he said. 

Referring to his arrest and arraignment by the Manhattan District Attorney as “a fake investigation,” he noted, “We’re winning.” 

The former president attributed part of the country’s problems to the loss of religion. 

“Perhaps the main thing that our country needs again is religion,” he said. “We have to have religion. We’re losing our religion and our country.” 

While Trump did not pray publicly on the call, he thanked those gathered for their prayers. He also repeated his assertion that he won the 2020 elections, calling his votes “more than any sitting president has ever gotten.” 

He ended his remarks by saying that Evangelicals have been an important part of his success as president. 

“Evangelicals have been there from the beginning. And they have been one of the reasons that we got so many votes. We’re going to do it one more time, and that’s 2024,” he said. 

As the other leaders joined in a call for prayer, those prayers consistently focused on the themes of justice and righteousness. While many prayed that Trump would be encouraged and strengthened, most focused on the nation itself, asking, as Clinton said, “for justice and righteousness to rule and reign.” 

White-Cain ended the call by asking those on the line to be “consistent in prayer” and to “pray without ceasing.”