A clip of Evangelical preacher Andrew Wommack saying it would be "worth it" to face another civil war in America if it meant getting former US President Donald Trump reelected and the country reconnected to its biblical roots has sparked controversy on social media.
"I've actually had people say that if Trump was to be elected [and] if we got a conservative Congress, that they feel we would have a civil war," said Wommack last week during an episode of his Truth and Liberty show. "I don't want a civil war. I don't know anyone who does. But would it be worth it to turn this nation back? I believe it would."
Christian nationalist Andrew Wommack says that while he doesn't want to see the US descend into civil war, he thinks it "would it be worth it to turn this nation back" to God and the Constitution. https://t.co/5aQ76sQbVm pic.twitter.com/gsBXbfET1U
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 8, 2024
The clip, first shared on X by Right Wing Watch, which claims to combat extremism and defend democracy, has reached more than 71,000 views.
Wommack's show, which runs Monday through Friday, delves into current events, often featuring fellow conservatives as guests and engaging with audience questions. On the February 7 episode, he interviewed Gene Bailey, host of "FlashPoint," which claims to tackle subjects overlooked by mainstream media. The show description says, "FlashPoint delivers news and commentary in the spirit of faith—encouraging evidence that God is indeed working to bring about His plans and purposes during these turbulent times."
Wommack: 'It is wrong that we do not follow the Constitution'
During the interview, Wommack received a call from a viewer inquiring about the feasibility of instigating a "grace revolution" in America and replacing the Constitution with the Bible.
"There is nothing wrong with our Constitution. It's the fact that we are not following it," Wommack responded. "If they were still writing the Bible today, I believe the American Constitution and the founding of this nation would be in there as one of the great things God has done."
Ever since the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill and Trump's decision to run in the 2024 election, there have been fears of violence in the US and talk of a potential civil war if Trump loses.
A study conducted by scholars from the University of Chicago revealed that a significant portion of the American population believes that resorting to "the use of force" is justifiable to keep Trump out of jail and put him back in the White House.
In an article written for the Boston Globe last year, University of Chicago researcher Robert Pape highlighted a survey he conducted and found that an estimated 16 million adults agree that "the use of force is justified to prevent the prosecution of Donald Trump."
"In study after study, researchers have found critical links between toxic rhetoric, support for political violence, and behavior that harms others," Pape said. "The explosion of calls for civil war and violence would seem to confirm the academic studies finding that toxic rhetoric by politicians can encourage even more extreme sentiments to be expressed by others."
The Jerusalem Post contacted Wommack's website for a comment on the video but has yet to receive a response. A spokesperson for Truth & Liberty Coalition told Newsweek, which also covered the story, that "Andrew Wommack's comments during the program were clear that Christians and other citizens should exercise their voting rights and not be dissuaded from that duty out of fear of violent acts by people who oppose their views. At no time did Mr. Wommack call for, or even suggest that, civil war is a goal or an expectation.
"Mr. Wommack also emphasized that our Constitution is not in need of changing. Indeed, it is vital that we adhere to its principles."