Stephen Strang, the CEO of the conservative Christian media outlet and publishing company Charisma, said in a press release Friday that Satan is behind the impeachment inquiry and other “demonic attacks” on President Donald Trump.
The press release hyped a new “Charisma News” poll finding that 90 percent of evangelicals—who it called “faith-based Americans” in a chart—believe the impeachment hearings are either a “witch hunt” or “a waste of time and money.” The two other options offered by the poll—that the impeachment hearings are about holding Trump accountable or are “a valid course of action” were chosen by about 5 percent of the respondents.
The press release offered no additional details about the survey, but plenty of commentary by Strang about the “deep state,” the “swamp,” Democrats and “Washington deal makers” who “will invent any story and false scandal to try to destroy Trump’s chance of reelection.” And he’s clear about who is behind it all:
The attacks are, in my opinion, from the pit of hell. As a Christian, I believe that Satan is behind this. He is trying to steal, kill and destroy. And Donald Trump has been raised up by God to stop our nation’s headlong plunge into total depravity. It’s God’s mercy to America since we deserve judgment.
Strang says Christians should not be surprised by “all these demonic attacks against the president,” because Satan “hates it when righteousness and religious freedom are championed.” Strang adds, “No wonder he and his minions have focused their hatred at Donald Trump.”
Strang says it doesn’t matter which Democratic candidate wins the nomination because “they all will be equally bad,” and that if a Democrat wins in 2020, “all the good things Trump has done will be immediately undone.” Strang also makes it clear that fear-mongering about religious freedom will be a primary religious right turnout strategy in 2020; he warns that if Democrats return to power, they would “make proclaiming the gospel illegal if it contradicts the Left’s politically correct perception of reality.”
Strang has encouraging words for Trump-adoring conservative evangelicals, saying, “God raised up this man to lead our nation and I believe Donald Trump will win a second term to complete the work he started—because I believe God has spoken.” Here’s a little more:
As I’ve said before, even though I have included a chapter on why Trump might lose, I personally believe he will win. That’s because while Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, Jesus comes to give life and give it more abundantly. I believe God has a plan for America. And I believe He raised up Donald Trump to help accomplish that plan. I believe God spoke to prophets over the years, telling them that He would play “the trump card.” I outline this in “God, Trump, and the 2020 Election,” but I document only a few of the prophecies that have declared Trump would win. The prophets were right in 2016, even if everyone else expected Hillary Clinton to win right up until the votes were counted. I believe the prophets will be right again this time, and that in 2020 Donald Trump will win a second term.
Of course, the larger culture doesn’t believe in prophecy, and they could care less about God’s will. Even many Christians look at political trends and often use many of the same tactics as their secular counterparts in order to win at the polls. But as a Charismatic Christian who believes in the work of the Holy Spirit and the gift of prophecy, I base my belief on what the prophets have said—not what the talking heads on cable TV or the reporters in the New York Times newsroom think is going to happen.
It was just a few days ago that Strang warned conservative evangelicals not to be to complacent about Trump’s 2020 chances, but apparently the impeachment hearings have pushed Strang into full cheerleader mode. He suggests that if the impeachment process did somehow turn voters against Trump, that would amount to Democrats stealing the election:
While I want to be careful in predicting the future, I believe Donald Trump will survive this attack, too. I think the Democrats know they can’t beat him at the polls, but if they can create a “scandal” and make him damaged goods in the eyes of some voters, that may shift enough votes to steal the election from him. One of the reasons Trump could lose that I cite in my new book, “God, Trump, and 2020 Election,” is the dishonesty of the other side.
Strang, as always, encourages his readers to overlook Trump’s failings, because Trump, “as imperfect as he may have been in the past, has been standing for religious liberty and righteousness. He has stood with Israel. He is strong. He can’t be intimidated.”
