- Pastor claims talks with Barron Trump.
- Says Barron is "very close".
- Barron near declaring Christian faith.
Pastor Stuart Knechtle stated on a December 4 episode of The George Janko Show that he had a late-night phone conversation with Barron and that the president's son had changed from being skeptical to almost adopting Christianity.
"He's very close to putting his faith in Christ, very close,"
Knechtle, who has millions of Instagram and TikTok followers, said on the program.
The leader went on to say that he supposedly convinced the 19-year-old Trump by telling Barron about a friend's missionary work in Africa, where he claims converts got supernatural revelations.
Knechtle and the White House have been contacted for comment.
It's unknown whether Barron and Knechtle have ever met or spoken to one another, let alone when this purported chat occurred.
Both Knechtle and his pastor father, Cliffe, have previously made appearances in prominent conservative circles.
Both Knechtles prayed for Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, and Cliffe recently appeared on Tucker Carlson's show.
The president claims that Barron, a second-year student at New York University, was an admirer of the late conservative and evangelical leader Charlie Kirk.
“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 acknowledged that his son linked his 2024 campaign to a number of right-leaning podcasts and social media platforms that might have contributed to Trump's victory by drawing in young male voters.
Barron attends classes at NYU's Washington campus while residing in the Executive Residence at the White House.
Both the first lady and the president identify as Christians.
A significant portion of Trump's 2024 coalition included of Christians of various denominations, particularly white evangelicals, of whom an estimated 81% supported the Republican.
More generally, according to the Pew Research Center, Protestants made up a majority of 54% of Trump voters, surpassing the 32% who supported Kamala Harris. In general, about 80% of Trump supporters said they were Christians.
Despite a recent decline in his polls across the board, the commander-in-chief still has a core constituency of religious supporters.
What is the pastor Stuart Knechtle's background and affiliation?
Stuart Knechtle serves as assistant pastor at Grace Community Church in New Canaan, Connecticut, where he oversees small groups, young family ministries, sermonizing, and pukka Christian comforting; he holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Mental Health/ Marriage and Family Therapy from Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary.
Knechtleco-hosts the Give Me an Answer apologetics ministry with his father, elderly pastor Cliffe Knechtle, conducting open- air Q&A sessions on US council premises ( e.g., Harvard, Texas A&M, Cornell) since graduating seminary, mooting atheists online and emphasizing faith defense.
Married to Sarah with three daughters, Knechtle grew up in New Canaan and focuses on evangelism, psychotherapy, and lot ministry, frequently alongside Cliffe's 40 times of discourses reaching global cult through YouTube/ TV.