Praying for war: Evangelical influence over US foreign policy

By Rhianna Gorman

“Prophetically, we are right on schedule” declared John Hagee, founder of the influential Christians United for Israel (CUFI), as US and Israeli strikes rained down on Iran. Standing in front of a screen displaying the ominous message “God’s Coming… Operation Epic Fury”, Hagee delivered a sermon to CUFI’s 10 million members on the 1st of March 2026, welcoming the unfolding conflict as a further step towards the earthly return of Jesus.

This prophecy originated within Evangelical Christian Zionism, yet its influence is far-reaching, extending beyond sermons into the highest echelons of US politics. With 80% of the 44 million Evangelicals supporting Trump in 2016, the Evangelical voter is of paramount importance, shaping the composition of Trump’s administration and the trajectory of its foreign policy. 

“Prophetically we are right on schedule” declared John Hagee, founder of the influential Christians United for Israel, as US and Israeli strikes rained down on Iran

Premillennialism presents an apocalyptic vision of the End Times; Jesus will return to Earth to inaugurate a 1000-year reign of peace for true believers, following the defeat of evil in an Armageddon. This can only occur once the Land Covenant is fulfilled – requiring Jewish control of the entire biblical Holy Land, critically including the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Once achieved, an apocalypse will occur, characterised by wars, natural catastrophes, and the rise of an Antichrist. For Christian Zionists, global crises, from climate change to regional wars, are welcomed as harbingers of Jesus’ Second Coming. 

The political influence of Evangelical theology is increasing, permeating throughout Congress and the White House. Ralph Drollinger, an influential Evangelical pastor, has led weekly Bible study groups for Trump’s cabinet and over 50 Members of Congress, in which he proclaims to cast “biblical clarity” on ongoing political issues, particularly regarding Israel. During Trump’s first term, Drollinger acted as personal pastor to Mike Pence, former Vice President, as well as Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State – both of whom have given speeches of endorsement at the CUFI annual conferences. 

An influential Evangelical pastor has led weekly Bible study groups for Trump’s cabinet and over 50 Members of Congress, in which he claims to cast “biblical clarity” on ongoing political issues

For observers, President Trump himself has contributed to the political advancement of the Evangelical movement. He recently created the White House Faith Office which recommends “changes to policies” and is composed entirely of Christians, including several openly Evangelical Christian nationalists – contrasting sharply with the interfaith approach adopted by both Obama and Biden. A multitude of senior figures behind Project 2025, a proposal which was described by the nonpartisan Charles F Kettering Foundation as “the blueprint for Christian nationalist regime change”, now form part of Trump’s administration, including current Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russel Vought. 

Political influence is transferred into financial support through external lobbyists, with CUFI, an organisation which received direct funding from the Israeli government, successfully lobbying for $3.3 billion in military aid for Israel in 2021 alone. Since 1946, the US has cumulatively committed over $300 billion to Israel. 

Key Evangelical figures have celebrated the advancement of their political cause during Trump’s presidency – with Jackson Lahmeyer, an influential Evangelical pastor, proclaiming that Trump has “moved the needle for the Christian agenda unlike anyone else”. The institutionalisation of Evangelicals within government has had tangible foreign policy consequences. Notably, the movement of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem enacted a highly-controversial policy lobbied for by Evangelicals for decades. For many evangelicals, the formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, not Palestine, advances the control of the Holy Land by Jews, precipitating Jesus’ return. Evangelicals have been accused by critics of ‘torpedoing’ the peace negotiations in Gaza – considering the conflict as a fulfilment of Biblical prophecies regarding Armageddon, whilst opposing Palestinian statehood as an obstacle to Jewish control of the complete Holy Land.

The practical consequences of this theology are evident in its permeation into the military. Since the strikes in Iran began, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been inundated with complaints; one commander reportedly briefed troops that war with Iran was “God’s divine plan”, and that Trump has been “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon”. For critical observers, it is not inconceivable that Trump’s decision to strike Iran was underpinned by these controversial theological motivations. With the war welcomed as a theological necessity by a number of senior military and political figures, a succinct conclusion to both the US-Iran and Israel-Gaza war does not appear to be forthcoming. 

Image credit: US Department of State via Wikimedia Commons