Christian Leaders Respond to Trump Indictment With Prayer, Criticism, Confusion

Donald Trump Indictment
Former President Donald Trump is escorted to a courtroom, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. Trump is set to appear in a New York City courtroom on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

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On Tuesday, April 5, former president Donald Trump entered the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to plead not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president in United States history to be placed under arrest and charged with a crime.

As Christian leaders continue to react to this historic news, responses from Trump supporters have been impassioned, with some, including congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, going as far as to compare Trump’s indictment to the arrest and crucifixion of Christ. Others have rallied to pray for the president. 

While some have celebrated the legal action taken against Trump by the Manhattan DA, a number of leaders, even some who have been vocally critical of the former president, have questions about whether the case against Trump will stand up in a court of law. 

The charges stem from payments made by Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 in exchange for her silence regarding an extramarital affair between her and Trump. What criminal prosecutors will seek to establish is that Trump made these payments in an effort to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. 

RELATED: Franklin Graham Slams Democrats for ‘Weaponizing Legal System’ Against Trump for ‘Their Political Gain’

While news of Trump’s indictment broke last week, it was not until his arraignment that the specific charges were made public. 

Nevertheless, even with the indictment unsealed, many Christian leaders without legal expertise, regardless of their feelings about Trump, were left scratching their heads about what exactly the former president is being accused of and why it warrants 34 felony charges. 

It is this question that New York Times columnist David French, who is a legal expert, sought to explicate in a recent article, characterizing the case against Trump as anything but “straightforward.”

Prior to Trump’s indictment, French had argued that “an indictment wouldn’t be frivolous, but it would be unwise” due to the “untested legal theory” that has been leveraged to up Trump’s alleged criminal offenses from misdemeanors to felony charges. Having now seen the charges, he stands by that argument. 

French went on to explain that while there is abundant evidence that “Trump entered into a scheme to pay off people who could have embarrassed him in the last days of the 2016 campaign…not everything that’s sleazy is illegal.”

Trump’s actions were “clearly immoral and would be extremely embarrassing to anyone who has shown signs that he is capable of embarrassment,” French argued. “But whether it was unlawful is the key question that will decide Trump’s legal fate.”

Many Republicans, including Trump himself, have argued that the charges are nothing more than political persecution aimed at keeping him from securing a second presidential term in the 2024 election.

Following the arraignment, Trump returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, holding a press conference later that evening. 

RELATED: Trump Chides Onetime Evangelical Supporters Who Haven’t Endorsed Him

With Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” playing over the speakers, a visibly beleaguered Trump moved through the room, shaking hands and waving at supporters before taking to the podium to air his grievances. 

“The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it,” Trump said, going on to refer to the multiple investigations into his actions and his two impeachment trials as “hoaxes.” 

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Dale Chamberlain
Dale Chamberlain (M.Div) is Content Manager for ChurchLeaders. With experience in pastoral ministry as well as the corporate marketing world, he is also an author and podcaster who is passionate about helping people tackle ancient truths in everyday settings. Dale lives in Southern California with his wife Tamara and their three sons.

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