President Donald Trump said his decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May is “appreciated” more by American evangelicals than many Jewish people.
Speaking with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on his TBN Christian network last week, Trump complained that while the “mainstream media” and Jews have not offered much praise of the Israel embassy move, it has garnered him lots of thanks from evangelical Christians. In May, Donald Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in a move that angered Palestinians who claim part of the holy city as the capital of a potential future state. Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all signed waivers delaying the controversial embassy move.
Trump explained to Huckabee that he never understood why past presidents and presidential candidates would promise to move the embassy but then were unable to do it when in office. “But I do understand now, because two weeks before I did it, when the word was out that I was going to do it, I was called by so many countries saying ‘please, don’t do it,'” said Trump. “It actually got to the point where I said ‘I’ll call you back in a week.’ It was a campaign promise and I thought it was very important.”
Trump added that while there was intense international scrutiny over the move, American evangelicals were very pleased with his decision.
“And you know who really likes it the most is the evangelicals. I’ll tell you what, I get more calls of ‘thank you’ from evangelicals, and I see it in the audiences and everything else, than I do from Jewish people. And the Jewish people appreciate it, but the evangelicals appreciate it more than the Jews which is incredible.”
