On January 26 , 2016 , Falwell announced his endorsement of Donald Trump for the Republican Nomination in the 2016 Presidential Election ; causing some Liberty University alumni and other Christians to express concern that Falwell had " sold his soul . " On July 21 , 2016 at the RNC convention in Cleveland , Ohio , Falwell Jr. called Trump " America 's blue collar billionaire " and " one of the greatest visionaries of our time " in his endorsement of the candidate he felt most likely to defend the " right to bear arms , " " stop Iran ... from becoming a nuclear power , " and " appoint conservative pro-life justices to the Supreme Court . " In an August 19 , 2016 editorial in '' The Washington Post , '' Falwell compared Trump to Winston Churchill : " We need a leader with qualities that resemble those of Winston Churchill , and I believe that leader is Donald Trump . " A group called the " Red Letter Christians " criticized Falwell for the pivotal role he played in " forging the alliance between white evangelicals and Donald J. Trump , who won 81 percent of their vote . " Trump , who is a personal friend of Falwell ’s , gave the commencement address in 2017 at Liberty University , Lynchburg which is " at the heart of pro-Trump evangelical Christianity "
RNC convention in Cleveland
2016 Republican National Convention
Jerry Falwell Jr.