Dr. James Dobson: While Trump a 'Baby Christian,' Voting for Him Better Than Allowing Hillary Clinton to 'Run the World'

Jun 30, 2016 12:21 PM EDT

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, has said that while presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is still maturing in his Christian walk, he is still a better choice than Hillary Clinton, as the thought of her "running the world" "haunts" him. 

Dobson, 80, who was among the more than 900 evangelical faith leaders who met with the Trump in New York City, made headlines after stating that the billionaire businessman-turned-politician had accepted Christ.

"I don't know when it was, but it has not been long," Dobson told Godfactor's Michael Anthony in an exclusive interview. "I believe he really made a commitment, but he's a baby Christian. We all need to be praying for him, especially if there's a possibility of him being our next chief executive officer."

"I think that he's open," he added. "He doesn't know our language, he really doesn't, and he refers a lot to religion and not much to faith and belief."

On Monday, Dobson clarified on his website that while he heard televangelist Paula White had led Trump to Christ, "Only the Lord knows the condition of a person's heart."

"First, Trump appears to be tender to things of the Spirit," Dobson wrote. "I also hear that Paula White has known Trump for years and that she personally led him to Christ. Do I know that for sure? No. Do I know the details of that alleged conversion? I can't say that I do. ...

"If anything, this man is a baby Christian who doesn't have a clue about how believers think, talk and act. All I can tell you is that we have only two choices, Hillary or Donald. Hillary scares me to death. And, if Christians stay home because he isn't a better candidate, Hillary will run the world for perhaps eight years. The very thought of that haunts my nights and days. One thing is sure: we need to be in prayer for our nation at this time of crisis."

Both Dobson and White, the senior pastor at New Destiny Christian Center in Apopka, Florida, are members of Trump's evangelical executive advisory board.

During an interview with the Brody File last week, White said that Trump's presidential run has the hand of God on it and shared how the billionaire businessman "loves" Christian television.

While admitting Trump "doesn't know our Christianese," she emphasized that he "absolutely enjoys hearing the Word."

"The way he discovered Paula White was watching Christian television, and Mr. Trump has always been a huge fan," she said. "He'd always watch Christian television. He loves Southern Gospel. One of his favorites is the Gaithers. For a birthday or an anniversary or something, I'd send him up Bill Gaither's tapes or books or sermons by this person. Because he absolutely enjoys hearing the Word."

She added, "There's no way in the natural, if we were to use this terminology, that you could take a man against 17 other candidates that if we look back at the beginning of this, very qualified candidates, and then here he is, the nominee. For me, that has to be providence. That has to be the hand of God, in my opinion."