Terrorism was something we never expected to come across as we researched Donald Trump’s Army Of God: Christian Nationalism In The Iowa Faith Leader Coalition. Who expects to find terrorists in Iowa?

Nonetheless, it’s as plain as day: The Trump for President campaign sought the endorsement of Christian terrorist David Leach. When Leach provided that endorsement, the Trump campaign celebrated, sharing news of it in more than one press release.

The Donald Trump for President Campaign of 2024 celebrated the endorsement of David Leach, describing him as a “pastor” in the campaign’s Iowa Faith Leader Coalition. 

However, available evidence indicates that Dave Leach is not a pastor but something far more troubling. David Leach is a notorious Christian terrorist.

It is a serious thing, to call someone a terrorist. Terrorism is one of the worst things that a person can do. I want to be serious about the way I talk about this issue, and begin by explaining what makes a terrorist a terrorist.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “terrorist” as “an advocate or practitioner of terrorism as a means of coercion”. The dictionary defines “terrorism” as “the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines terrorism as “The use of violence or the threat of violence, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political goals.“

David Leach fits these definitions of a terrorist to a T. He has advocated for and endorsed the use of violence to achieve political goals. He has also collaborated with and celebrated individuals who have employed violence for political ends.

Donald Trump listed David Leach in the Iowa Faith Leader Coalition as a “pastor”, but Leach has never served as the pastor of any church. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to work out why Trump engaged in this deception. Simply listing Leach as “Christian terrorist” might not sit well with some voters, but it’s the most accurate description Trump could have given.

If Leach has held a leadership role within a faith community, it has been as a leader of the a terrorist network that called itself the Army Of God. There’s no question that Leach was one of the network’s top leaders, if not its mastermind. Leach has repeatedly referred to himself as the Secretary General of the Army Of God, a significant position of leadership within this extremist organization.

Members of the Army Of God have openly acknowledged their involvement in terrorist activities. Army of God member Clayton Waagner stated it plainly, admitting, “They’re right. I am a terrorist.”

The Department of Homeland Security designated the Army Of God as a perpetrator of terrorism in its 2014 report, “Profiles of Perpetrators of Terrorism in the United States, 1970-2013.” The group was listed just above the white supremacist organizations Aryan Nations and Aryan Republican Army. 

The Army Of God was not merely a group of radical theorists. Its central mission was to engage in violent action to shut down abortion clinics. The organization went on a bloody rampage with the goal of forcing an end to legal abortion in the United States. According to the Global Terrorism Database, the Army Of God murdered three Americans during the 1980s and 1990s, and injured ninety others.

More information about David Leach and the terrorism of the Army Of God can be found in the book Donald Trump’s Army Of God: Christian Nationalism In The Iowa Faith Leader Coalition.