“I believe any Christian who would sit at home and not vote for the Republican nominee … that person is being motivated by pride rather than principle and I think it would be a shame for people to allow Hillary Clinton four or eight years in the White House,” he said.

Pastor Robert Jeffress, leader of the influential 12,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, declared Wednesday that Republicans who have vowed never to support Donald Trump if he becomes the Republican presidential nominee are “fools.”

“I think the Bible has a word for people like that — it’s fools,” said Jeffress in an interview with The Christian Post Wednesday.

Jeffress was responding to the #NeverTrump hashtag revolt which has been steadily gaining momentum over the weekend and got the endorsement of Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska on Sunday.

“It is absolutely foolish to do anything that would allow Hillary Clinton to become the next President of the United States … at least Donald Trump has voiced a belief in a pro-life movement, he has at least talked about religious liberty as he did last Friday, you don’t hear either things coming from the lips of Hillary Clinton,” he continued.

“I believe any Christian who would sit at home and not vote for the Republican nominee … that person is being motivated by pride rather than principle and I think it would be a shame for people to allow Hillary Clinton four or eight years in the White House,” he said.

Jeffress who has been a staunch promoter of the GOP presidential frontrunner from the early days of his campaign reacted to a number of questions in the interview with CP covering faith, politics, the Republican Party and the allure of Donald Trump.

At a rally for the billionaire which featured an endorsement from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in Dallas on Friday, Jeffress gave a passionate speech in support of the candidate many prominent evangelicals have rejected as a poser.

Trump does not espouse true Christian values, they say, despite his popularity among a broad cross-section of disenchanted evangelical voters who have been fueling his rise in the polls.

“You know, one time when Ronald Reagan was running for president of the United States, the first time, he met with a group of evangelical leaders, and he said, although you can’t endorse me, I want you to know I endorse you. And I have met — I have met with Mr. Trump on several occasions, and I can tell you from personal experience, if Donald Trump is elected president of the United States, we who are evangelical Christians are going to have a true friend in the White House. God bless Donald Trump!” Jeffress declared at the rally.

When asked if he was trading his own values for a “true friend in the White House?” based on advice he doled out during prior elections, Jeffress said that isn’t the case.

In a 2011 interview leading up to the 2012 Republican primary season, Jeffress cited the words of Founding Father and first Chief Justice of the United States, John Jay, who said:

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation, to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

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