Robert Jeffress Reflects on Faith, Politics, and the Challenges Facing America
Robert Jeffress is a man on a mission. As the seventy-year-old pastor reflects back on his life, although not for long, he is assured that God has called him to lead his people as pastor while at the same time standing up for what he believes God has called him to stand on when it comes to politics and principles that affect today’s culture. Jeffress can be seen as a lightning rod to some, while at the same time a prophet warning those who will hear. In a sit-down interview with Crosswalk, Jeffress reflects on his ministry, the pope, and his observation at the Rededicate 250.
Crosswalk: Pastor Jeffress, what was your reflection of what took place at Rededicate 250?
Robert Jeffress: I was honored to be part of REDEDICATE 250. The sight of thousands of Christians praying in the nation’s capital to the one true God reflected America’s best hope and the Left’s worst nightmare.
CW: How do you see your relationship with President Trump?
RJ: I am a friend of President Trump. He is a friend of mine. I don't have any official role, I'm just a friend, a longtime friend. We've known each other for about ten years. I knew him before he became president. I used to go visit with him at Trump Tower, we just became instant friends. I don't try to portray that we're bosom buddies. We don't play golf together, but we stay in contact, and I greatly respect him.
CW: Do you see the friendship as a calling?
RJ: I think every relationship is a calling, if you will, but I don't want to overblow my relationship with the president. He's a good friend.
CW: You made a statement recently regarding the Pope, “the president understands the biblical view of government better than the Pope. Do you still stand by that comment, and what made you make that comment?
RJ: Well, absolutely, and what I didn't say was that the president knows the Bible better than the Pope, but what we were talking about was the role of government on the Fox News interview. I had been in the Oval Office about three days after the action against Iran was launched by our nation. The president told me and several other faith leaders there that Iran was within weeks of getting a powerful weapon that could destroy Israel, could destroy much of the Middle East, and do great harm to our nation, and that he had no choice but to act in defense of our country. I thanked the President right then and there for having the courage to fulfill his God-given responsibility to protect our nation. And that's what I said in the interview. You know, God has created not just the church, he's created government for a completely different function than the church.
CW: What is the goal of the church and the government in your point of view?
RJ: The goal of the church is to point people to faith in Jesus Christ. Romans thirteen tells us that government exists to protect citizens from those who would do evil. Paul said, God has given the government the power of the sword. That is the power to avenge those who do evil, to protect those who are innocent. When the President takes action to protect our nation, he is performing what the Bible says is the responsibility of government. The Pope is a good man. I said he's probably sincere in his faith, but he is sincerely wrong in his feelings about Iran and specifically about our nation's launching a defensive position against Iran. We have every right to do whatever is needed to protect our citizens.
CW: What do you think of the pope?
RJ: He's a good man, a sincere man. He's just sincerely wrong about Iran. I don't believe any pope, any priest, or any pastor is infallible. The only thing that's infallible is the word of God.
CW: How do you view your role as pastor?
RJ: Well, my role as a minister comes from Ephesians 4, which is to equip the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ. My primary function is to oversee, to shepherd the First Baptist Church of Dallas. That's a very complex job description of what it means to pastor the First Baptist Church of Dallas because for 158 years, our church has had a platform of influence that's extended beyond the four walls of the church and is extended nationally and internationally. First Baptist Dallas church does not belong to me. My leadership is a stewardship that's given by God and one that I will give account for one day when I stand before Christ. I go to bed every Saturday night with a sobering realization that I have a great responsibility on Sunday morning, that one day I'm going to give an account to God for what I've preached to the sheep, the way that I've cared for the sheep, and what I've done to try to further and nurture their relationship with Christ.
CW: When you look back at your time at First Baptist Dallas, having grown up there. What do you think?
RJ: I just turned 70, It doesn't seem so fast as I look back it looks like it happened overnight, but there are a lot of years there. One thing I do look back on is gratitude. I have gratitude for what God has done and the opportunities he's given me to preach the gospel. I'm a servant of God. This church does not belong to me. It belongs to Jesus Christ. He's the true shepherd. I'm just the under shepherd.
CW: What would you say to your brothers and sisters of color, who maybe are asking how do you stand by the President when he makes racial remarks?
RJ: I would not be argumentative, but I would ask them what racial remarks he's talking about. The President said about the Obama one, he did not watch. I just am going to take the President at his word on that. When it comes to AI, Jesus, obviously, that's not something I would favor. I think the important thing is he solved the problem, he took it off, he deleted it, he did the right thing. I would just remind anybody, all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all make mistakes, I just think we need to be a little more gracious. I don't see my role in life is to defend everything the president does.
I support him because, first of all, he's a friend, and I support him because of his policies.
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Tom Pennington/Staff
Originally published May 22, 2026.
