Despite some of President-elect Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric, evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, never wavered in his support for the GOP nominee because he was for the working class, "was a good man," and we were not electing a "pastor-in-chief."
Trump's election has worked out, Falwell Jr. told host Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday."
"My wife's noticed as she's done her Christmas shopping, more of the retailers are saying 'Merry Christmas,'" Falwell Jr. told Wallace. "There's a new hope, an optimism. There's a good spirit in America.
"And I think that's coming from [Trump's] lead."
Falwell Jr. admitted he took a leap of faith in being unwavering in supporting Trump during this election.
"It was sort of a gamble because I didn't know where he'd come down on all the issues, but because I believed he was a good man, I believed he would come down on the right side of the issues, and he's done that in the last year and I've been proud of him," Falwell Jr. said. "It was a big risk for me, but so much was at stake, I just couldn't afford to stay silent."
Trump was overwhelmingly popular among evangelicals, getting 80 percent of their vote, as Fox News reported, figures which surpassedt GOP candidates Mitt Romney (78 percent in 2012), John McCain (74 percent in 2008) and George W. Bush (78 percent in 2004).
Trump's roller-coaster campaign did not deter Falwell Jr.'s support on behalf of evangelicals.
"[Trump] never pretended to be a theologian," Falwell Jr. said. "I said all through the campaign, we're not electing a pastor-in-chief."
Falwell Jr. compared Trump's election to that of how you treat your "sick child," because you want to pick the "best doctor, not the one that shares your faith and theology."
"That's what we have to do with government," Falwell Jr. added.
"We have to find the candidate who is most likely to support all the values that we hold dear. Evangelicals aren't that much different than the general population."
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