January 18, 2024, Pro-Trump pastor Joel Tenney issued a warning that adversaries of the former president could face “retribution” if Donald Trump emerges victorious in this year’s race for the White House.
Tenney, known for his impassioned speeches, conveyed his beliefs to the Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN), criticizing the media’s portrayal of Trump as he addressed a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on January 17. He denounced what he termed “fake news media,” expressing dissatisfaction with what he considered unfair reporting, stating, “I want to say that it is disingenuous, it is not fair reporting, it is not good reporting, and I think the Republic sees that.”
This declaration follows an NBC News article on January 10, suggesting the role of “celebrity pastors” in enhancing Trump’s credibility among certain Christians and facilitating the spread of alleged falsehoods, including election conspiracy theories.
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Tenney, previously characterizing the election as a “spiritual battle” against “demonic forces,” referenced a Bible passage in Romans during a Trump rally in Coralville, Iowa, warning, “Whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” He added, “When Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.”
Acknowledging the concept of retribution as a focus of his potential presidency, Trump stated at an Iowa town hall that it is “not so bad,” but he also indicated potential time constraints.
Tenney clarified to RSBN in New Hampshire that, in his view, “Retribution does not mean civil war, it means just punishment.”
Amidst facing 91 charges across multiple criminal indictments, Trump vehemently denies the allegations, attributing them to political motivations. He further claims that President Joe Biden has weaponized the Justice Department against him, an assertion without credible evidence.
While a significant portion of white evangelical Protestants, some of Trump’s staunchest supporters, remains unconvinced about the fairness of the 2020 election, polls indicate varying perspectives. A Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) report from October reveals that 60 percent of white evangelical Protestants believe Biden did not win the election fairly, and 28 percent believe there is “credible evidence” of serious federal crimes committed by Trump.
The AP-NORC poll from October states that around half of evangelicals view Trump positively. Evangelical voters played a pivotal role in the Iowa caucus, where Trump secured victory by over 30 points, with 53 percent of his voters identifying as white born-again or evangelical Christians, according to a CNN exit poll.
Controversial issues such as abortion continue to shape the evangelical debate, with Trump recently claiming credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. PRRI notes that 75 percent of white evangelical Protestants oppose legal abortion, despite criticism that such measures impede women’s access to necessary healthcare.
