Religious broadcaster Joel Osteen, talking on Fox News Radio (Kilmeade & Friends), called GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump a "good man," a "friend of his ministry" and "an incredible communicator and brander," citing former President Bill Clinton's observation.
That interview, which took place in October, got a lot of attention Monday given Osteen's large evangelical Christian following, a group Trump has been doing very well with, particularly given it was initially thought to be the sweet spot of his opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, whose father was a minister.
Osteen is the head of the Lakewood Church in Houston, which claims to reach over 200 million households in the United States with its media ministry.
The Houston mega-church also claims 38,000 weekly attendees. Citing Nielsen numbers, Lakewood says Osteen is "the most watched inspirational figure in America," with seven million viewers each week watching his weekly sermon. The broadcast is also seen in 100 countries.
