In 2016, Barber had publicly disclosed that he did not vote for Donald Trump, citing that Trump was “a demonstrably evil man whose campaign platform consists mainly of his evilness.” However, Barber did vote for Trump in 2020.
“The president advocated for some legislation on sentencing reform, something that really addressed some injustice that affected minority communities. I was encouraged by the consistent pro-life support that the President gave,” Barber expressed. “I didn’t expect that.”
Then came January 6.
Offering a somewhat circumspect analysis of the Capitol riot, Barber said, “I think a lot of Southern Baptists would be thrilled to have the opportunity to support someone for leadership in our country whose strong on the values that matter to us, who can do that without putting the vice president’s life in danger.”
“I’ll just say this: I want to be driven by the principles of Jesus Christ, and that does not involve mob violence. I don’t support that,” Barber later said. “Anyone who does support that—I’m less likely to vote for them because of their support for that.”
When asked about who he might vote for in the 2024 presidential election, Barber refused to give a specific answer. When Cooper pressed, Barber said, “The fact [is] in 2016 I could say something, and I was speaking only for myself. And now 50,000 churches of people I love are represented by me when I speak.”
“And so, do I feel a sense of needing to be more wise and careful about things that I say now? Absolutely, I do,” Barber said.
“I do think that Americans are hungry for strong leadership,” Barber went on to say. “I think that there’s opportunity for strong leaders to emerge who give us better choices. I’m praying for that.”
On Christian Nationalism
As Christian nationalist rhetoric is on the rise among some Republican politicians and church leaders, Cooper asked Barber to weigh in.
“It stands contrary to 400 years of Baptist history and everything I believe about religious liberty. I’m opposed to the idea of Christian dominion, churchly dominion over the operations of government,” Barber said. “I object to it because Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world. I object to it because historically every time it’s been adopted it wound up persecuting people like me.”
Barber continued, “It doesn’t stop at persecuting people who are not Christians. It eventually winds up persecuting people who are Christians for whom the flavor of their Christianity is different from that of the government.”
On Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage
Since the Dobbs decision, abortion has been a major focal point of the national conversation. The SBC has played a key role in that debate, as the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has long advocated for pro-life policies.
