Evangelical pastor and longtime Trump ally says he won't endorse Trump unless he wins the GOP nomination

• Robert Jeffress is an evangelical pastor and longtime supporter of former President Donald Trump.
• He told Newsweek that he will not endorse Trump until the Republican Party nominates him.
• Jeffress said the GOP is "headed toward a civil war" and that he doesn't want to be involved.

An evangelist pastor and loyal supporter of Donald Trump told Newsweek on Wednesday that he will hold off on his endorsement of the former president until he is officially nominated by the Republican party.

"Donald Trump was a great president, and if he becomes the GOP nominee in 2024, I will happily support him," Robert Jeffress, told Newsweek.

"The Republican Party is headed toward a civil war that I have no desire or need to be part of," Jeffress said, adding that his priority is to be "pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas and preaching God's word to millions of people."

Jeffress is the senior pastor of a 14,000-strong megachurch in Dallas, Texas, and one of Trump's most vocal evangelical supporters. During the Trump administration he visited the White House multiple times.

The pastor's comments came a day after Trump formally announced his third consecutive bid for the White House, telling a crowd of supporters on Tuesday that he is willing to "fight like no one who has ever fought before."

But the former president's 2024 campaign launch fell largely flat as many right-wing pundits, GOP donors, and former advisors urged him to step aside and let other Republicans take a shot at the top job.

Their criticism came after Trump was heavily blamed for the GOP's lackluster results in the midterms.

Trump received widespread support from evangelical religious leaders and televangelists in the 2016 and 2020 elections, including from his spiritual advisor Paula White and prominent televangelist Rev. Franklin Graham.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.