Trump Says a Pastor Once Clocked Him as Someone Who Hadn't Ever Read the Bible

Over the course of his time as a politician, it has occasionally seemed like President Trump might not be all that familiar with the Bible. He once held one for a photo op, and he's never seemed to be too familiar with any particular scriptures. Ultimately, though, the question of whether he's read the book or not is impossible for us to answer.

During the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast, though, Trump said that one prominent pastor had the stones to suggest that he had never read the good book. Here's what we know about what he said.

During his speech, Trump called out MAGA supporter Robert Jeffress, the pastor of a prominent Dallas megachurch. He explained that back in 2016, Jeffress suggested that he might not have read the Bible.

“He said, ‘I know every candidate very well, and I know Trump a little bit, but he may not be as good with the Bible as some of them. He may not have read the Bible as much as some of them,’” Trump said.

“‘In fact, he may have not ever read the Bible, but he will be a much stronger messenger for us, and he will get things done that no other man has the ability to get done,'" the president continued, paraphrasing Jeffress. Trump then added, “I didn’t want to admit anything,” suggesting that Jeffress's suggestion that Trump had never read the Bible might be true.

What's clear, though, is that Jeffress was supportive of Trump's candidacy even though he seemed to understand that Trump himself was not a super devout person. "There are a lot of factors that go into the choice of a candidate for a Christian. The Bible does not give a checklist for who to vote for, because when the Bible was written, there was no such thing as voting," Jeffress told The Dallas Observer at the time.

"So I think certainly a candidate’s faith is one consideration, but it’s not always the most important consideration," he added.

Trump's faith has long been a question for some voters, although many Republicans believe that, because his policies line up with theirs, the president's personal beliefs aren't a dealbreaker that they might have been in the past.

Trump himself was raised Presbyterian, but he now identifies as a non-denominational Christian. Although it seems distinctly possible that he's never read the Bible, Trump did say during the Prayer Breakfast that faith plays a role in his life.

“I mean, I behave because I’m afraid not to,” Trump said, looking at the sky. “Because I don’t want to get in trouble."

Trump has spoken openly in recent weeks about whether he's going to get into heaven, a question he seems genuinely concerned about. As the president gets closer to the end of his life, it seems he might be turning more toward faith in a way he hadn't before.