Texas pastor Jeffress says Trump understood Iran threat better than Pope: ‘He had no choice’

WASHINGTON, DC: A prominent pastor at a Texas megachurch is getting major attention for defending President Donald Trump’s military actions against Iran and saying the president had “a better understanding of the Bible than the Pope” when it came to the growing threat posed by Tehran.

The comments come as religious conservatives continue to rally around Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, with many evangelical leaders framing the president’s actions as both a strategic necessity and a moral imperative.

Pastor says Trump had intelligence showing Iran was ‘weeks from a weapon’

According to reports, Texas pastor Jeffress said he personally met with Trump in the Oval Office and came away convinced the president faced no real alternative but to act militarily against Iran.

“It looks like President Trump has a better understanding of what the Bible teaches about the role of government than the pope has,” Pastor Robert Jeffress said on Fox News on Friday, speaking on the topic of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s Thursday meeting with the pontiff.

Jeffress, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, has supported the president since 2016, serving on his evangelical advisory board and even delivering a sermon to him on the morning of his inauguration during his first term.

Jeffress’s affection for Trump, 79, appears to be mutual. The president has described the virulently anti-Catholic pastor as “a wonderful man” and touted his “great book,” A Place Called Heaven, in 2017. 

The relationship seems to have continued, with the pastor saying Friday he was in the Oval Office with Trump and other faith leaders just three days after the US launched war with Iran on Feb. 28.

The pastor argued that critics, including some religious leaders, did not fully understand the severity of the geopolitical situation confronting the White House.

“I thanked him then for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation,” Jeffress said on Fox.

Pastor has previously supported Trump in his actions

Trump has repeatedly defended the administration’s posture toward Iran, arguing that strong military deterrence is necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear capabilities and threatening American allies.

Many conservative religious figures have framed Trump’s foreign policy decisions through a biblical lens, particularly regarding Israel and Middle East security

The controversial pastor has previously teased the idea of “using force to topple evil,” releasing a statement that said, “God has given Trump authority to take out Kim Jong Un.”

“I wanted to clarify that I believe the Bible, especially Romans 13, does give President Trump moral authority to use whatever force necessary, including assassination or even war to topple an evil dictator like Kim Jong Un,” the pastor told Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy in 2017.

On Friday, Jeffress reiterated the claim that “the role of government is to protect citizens from evil doers,” while also criticizing Pope Leo XIV for his stance on the war with Iran.

“The pope is a good man; he’s sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong when it comes to Iran,” Jeffress, who has previously declared the Catholic Church a “counterfeit” religion, said.

Yet Pastor Jeffress appeared to offer the pope his own advice on what he “oughts to know,” claiming that “God created both the church and government for two different, distinct purposes.”

“The role of the church is to point people into faith in Jesus Christ, but the role of government is to protect citizens from evil doers,” Jeffress said.