Televangelist Jim Bakker is making headlines again for a controversial claim he made during a taped episode of “The Jim Bakker Show.”

He said that support for President Donald Trump is a “test [for] whether you’re even saved.”

“Only saved people can love Trump,” Bakker said during the episode.

The comment made a number of people in the audience laugh and at least one guest who was on the show.

Bakker responded to the audience reaction saying, “No…You gotta really be saved. You gotta forgive. You forgive when you’re saved…”

Here is Jim Bakker saying that Trump is a test to determine whether or not people are “saved.”

The comments section below is here for you, twitter-have at it. pic.twitter.com/LTlYmA5ZlV

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) January 6, 2020

This statement was made during a segment where viewers were asked to make monthly donations to the “PTL Voice of the Prophets Gold Member Network,” the Charlotte Observer reported.

The comments exploded on Twitter – many of which were not supportive.

One Twitter user @ActivistRaising tweeted, “Says the man who conned millions out of millions, made a fool of his entire family, then did it all over again. Yeah.. he’s saved. From being a decent human being. #wwjd #Hypocrisy”

Another Twitter user @Rkone wrote, “Jim Baker’s declaration Trump is a test for saved people is a wicked dissembling of scripture. Forgiveness begins with repentance, asking to be forgiven, then reconciliation follows. Trump must come to Jesus. As a pastor Jim Baker bears false witness.”

Michael Wear, a White House staffer during the Obama Administration also commenete don Bakker’s statement, saying it was “oppressive,” and “manipulative.”

I know some think that Jim Bakker comment was bad because it was about Trump, but I want to tell you that it’s always bad, morally oppressive & manipulative to suggest anyone’s faith is vindicated based on their vote alone–regardless of who is the subject of the sentiment.

— Michael Wear (@MichaelRWear) January 7, 2020

On another “The Jim Bakker Show” broadcast, he said that God told him that President Trump was elected in order to give Christians enough time to prepare for the return of Jesus Christ.

“Have you ever seen a time when we hate our president like the people do now?” Bakker stated. “Literally half the nation hates the president and would probably kill him if they got a chance.”

“God has given us a man who is not afraid to fight. We have a president people think is crazy. They call him crazy, but he’s making peace treaties, he’s doing all the things to try to solve the world’s problems and God has put him on earth—God spoke to me the other night, He said, ‘I put Donald Trump on earth to give you time, the church, to get ready.’”