Attendees at an evangelical megachurch in 2019 (CMP55/Shutterstock.com)
Evangelicals think that they've found their next great hope as they gear up for the 2028 presidential election.
Journalist Sarah Posner penned a report addressing the new chatter about Mike Huckabee as the new heir of the MAGA evangelicals to regain influence in the Republican Party after Trump has largely placated them.
Discussions looking beyond Trump are also coming at a time when even MAGA evangelicals are starting to lose faith in their president. The far-right political group believes the next GOP pick must be part of an effort to end growing anti-Israel and antisemitic elements in MAGA.
Huckabee has long been a recognizable figure in conservative Christian politics. A former Arkansas governor, presidential candidate, and television host, he has deep ties to evangelical voters and presents a more openly religious, folksy style than Trump. As ambassador to Israel, he has also become a prominent defender of Israel’s right-wing government and of Christian Zionism, which is the belief that the modern state of Israel has special biblical and prophetic importance.
His philosophy is part of an "end times" belief that they can entice Jesus Christ to return by causing an Apocalypse, thereby accelerating the Book of Revelation. Critics describe it as a "death cult."
The message, though, still appeals to many conservative evangelicals. It has also exposed tension inside Trump’s broader MAGA movement. Some figures associated with the populist-nationalist wing, like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have questioned the United States’ close alignment with Israel and its risks of deeper involvement in Middle East wars. Huckabee's beliefs mandate a pro-Israel stance because Jews returning to Israel fulfill the biblical prophecy that kicks off the end times.
The idea of Huckabee being the new leader comes from David Brody, a Christian Broadcasting Network reporter with deep connections in evangelical politics, Posner explained. Writing for "All Israel News," run by a fellow Christian Zionist, Brody floated Huckabee’s name after Christian nationalist organizer David Lane suggested that pastors should consider him for 2028. Huckabee, now 70, has lost the presidency twice so far.
Brody sees Huckabee as someone who could unite two increasingly divided parts of the GOP coalition. One side includes pro-Israel Christian Zionists, while the other includes MAGA figures and followers skeptical of U.S. involvement with Israel and foreign wars.
"To bolster his case, Brody includes some quotes from leaders of the Christian right’s old guard weighing in on Huckabee’s perceived strengths, including Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and former Republican National Committee Director of Faith Engagement Chad Connelly, who told Brody that the ambassador could 'make the case that supporting an important ally does not mean giving that ally a blank check. That approach could resonate with Republicans who want an America First foreign policy while still recognizing the strategic importance of Israel," cited Posner.
The writer explained that there are obstacles, namely that Huckabee would be 73 in 2028, and American attitudes about older politicians have changed significantly in the past 10 years. It will be difficult to go up against younger Marco Rubio or JD Vance if they also decide to run. Brody, Posner said, merely glosses over the concern.
She also sees most of the pro-Huckabee talk coming from the allies that are close to him, meaning it could merely be a friendly trial balloon rather than an actual movement.
Ultimately, Posner argued that Huckabee speculation reveals less about a likely candidacy than about the Republican evangelical movement trying to regain influence after Trump. Evangelical leaders were once a powerful group for crowning a Republican presidential candidate. But 2016 changed everything.
"The only thing that is clear from this early Huck-mania is that these leaders would like to return to their pre-Trump era of evangelical kingmaking, but are worried that Trump, by courting both them and the anti-Zionist, antisemitic wing of MAGA, and then bungling the Iran war, has complicated their inheritance," Posner closed.