A pastor with a large social media following claims he has been speaking with Barron Trump, who he says is “very close” to declaring his Christian faith.
On a December 4 episode of The George Janko Show, pastor Stuart Knechtle claimed he spoke with Barron by phone late one night and that the president’s son went from being a skeptic to nearly accepting Christianity.
“He’s very close to putting his faith in Christ, very close,” Knechtle, who has millions of followers across TikTok and Instagram, told the show.
The leader added that, allegedly, telling Barron about a friend’s missionary work in Africa, where he claims converts received divine revelations, helped persuade the 19-year-old Trump.
“He was like, ‘Oh, that’s a very, very interesting point,’” Knechtle said. “And you have eyewitness testimony.”
The Independent has contacted the White House and Knechtle for comment.
It is unclear when this alleged conversation took place or if Barron and Knechtle have ever met or spoken with each other.
Knechtle and his father, Cliffe, who is also a pastor, have appeared in high-profile conservative circles in the past.
Cliffe was a recent guest on Tucker Carlson’s show, and both Knechtles prayed on behalf of Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Barron, who is currently in his second year at New York University, was a fan of the late conservative and evangelical activist Charlie Kirk, according to the president.
“I’ll never forget Baron coming back saying, ‘Dad, that guy’s great,’” Trump said after Kirk was assassinated this fall. “You know, normally he’s not full of praise. Now, he was very hurt when he saw [news of Kirk’s death], but, I mean, everybody was.”
The president has credited his son with connecting his 2024 campaign to various right-leaning podcasts and social media streams that may have helped tip the election in Trump’s favor by attracting young male voters.
Barron is living in the Executive Residence at the White House and attending classes at NYU’s Washington campus.
The president and the first lady are both Christians.
Christians across denominations, and especially white evangelicals, were a core part of Trump’s 2024 coalition, with an estimated 81 percent of the latter group backing the Republican.
More broadly, Protestants made up a 54 percent majority of Trump voters, topping the 32 percent who went for Kamala Harris, according to the Pew Research Center. Overall, roughly eight-in-10 Trump voters identified as Christian.
The commander-in-chief retains a core base of religious supporters, even as his polling elsewhere has plunged across the board in recent weeks.
Up to one-third of Americans think the 2024 election result was ordained by God, according to a set of October polls.
