Hours after presumptive Republican 2024 presidential nominee and former president Donald Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal that threatened his 2016 presidential campaign, megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll pleaded on social media for Jesus to return before Election Day. Driscoll, founding pastor of Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona, wrote in a post on X, “Lord Jesus, we would humbly request that You return before November 5.”
While most conservative Christians see Trump as the answer to America’s challenges, Driscoll made it clear in an Instagram post that he doesn’t believe trusting in politicians should be seen as the answer for Christians. He wrote, “Government can’t fix spiritual problems; it’s ultimately a God problem. Trusting in politicians won’t solve it — repentance and faith are the only way forward.” Driscoll previously urged Christians to approach the 2024 presidential election with “sobriety” and admitted that he found neither President Joe Biden nor Trump attractive candidates.
He noted on TikTok, “How should a Christian approach the 2024 election? Make every effort to maintain sobriety despite the difficulty. And the truth is we’re going to have two candidates, both of which are old. I would like somebody who is younger. They are both in the flesh. So we have a Democrat in the flesh, and we have a Republican in the flesh. If you’re filled with the Holy Spirit, your options stink, but welcome to America.” Devout Baptist Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, R-La., said the verdict of the Manhattan jury, which made Trump the first former U.S. president convicted of a crime, made a “shameful day in American history.”
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He tweeted in response to the verdict, “This was a purely political exercise, not a legal one.” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., claimed the trial outcome for Trump was due to a “corrupt and rigged” justice system. She said in a statement, “I fully support President Trump appealing this decision and look forward to the New York Court of Appeals delivering justice and overturning this verdict.” Rising political and cultural tensions have led to many claims or suggestions in recent months that the United States could be headed toward another civil war. After Trump’s conviction, that chatter emerged even more online, with people like conservative political commentator Joey Mannarino declaring on X that: “The Civil War just began. We no longer live in a democracy.”
He further explained his position in a follow-up statement. He said, “The Civil War didn’t start today. It started in November 2020 when an illegitimate President stole the White House through a fake election. To cover up all the criminality, they accused Donald Trump of being a felon and made up fake charges to try and make sure he never wins. YOU HAVE AWOKEN THE BEAST! AMERICANS WILL RISE UP AND TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY! NOVEMBER 5, 2024!”
Outside the Trump Tower in New York City, protesters warned of a possible civil war. “I believe these far radical left are trying to start a civil war,” one man said, according to Newsweek. One Manhattan resident told The Independent that she wanted Trump to be found guilty so it would help him in the polls, arguing that a “civil war” could happen if Trump was jailed or the November election is “rigged.”