Jerry Falwell Jr.
Liberty University
Former president of Liberty University and one of the very first major evangelical leaders to endorse Donald Trump in January 2016, well before the Republican primaries concluded. Called Trump the 'dream president' for evangelicals and spent millions of Liberty University's nonprofit funds on pro-Trump causes. Resigned in disgrace in 2020 amid a personal scandal.
Ministry Location
Liberty University
1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg, VA 24515
www.liberty.edu→If you attend this church or are considering it, review the evidence below.
Documented Evidence(4)
+ Submit EvidenceFox News coverage of Jerry Falwell Jr.'s Trump endorsement, exploring whether this was an 'evangelical tipping point' for the 2016 Republican primary.
View source →Falwell Jr. tells CNN 'We're not electing a pastor-in-chief,' dismissing concerns about Trump's moral character as irrelevant to evangelical support.
View source →“We're not electing a pastor-in-chief. We're electing a president. I think Trump is the dream president for evangelicals.”
Falwell's widely quoted defense of Trump's moral character, establishing the template for evangelical leaders to separate personal morality from political support.
View source →Politico investigation revealing that Falwell pumped millions of Liberty University's nonprofit funds into pro-Trump Republican causes during his final years as president.
View source →