The son of Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker thinks his mother would be shocked if Donald Trump became US president, given the harsh assessment of her family by evangelicals.
Jay Bakker, 48, said the 1980s televangelist would be surprised that conservatives have embraced Trump after his criminal convictions and history of alleged extramarital affairs, as they were not as forgiving of his televangelist parents after his father’s financial misdeeds had come to light.
“I think she would be shocked,” Bakker told DailyMail.com on Friday. “I think it would be shocking to her too, because my parents were so vilified, and now everyone, all the evangelicals are saying, ‘Oh, no, it’s fine.’
“I think that would be mind-boggling…I don’t know if my mother was really made for this world after she left.”
Tammy Faye’s shock would also extend to current Democrats, as she would disagree with how strict they have become in their beliefs, Jay added.
“I don’t think she would even recognize the progressive part of the world where people are so black and white with things. My mom just wanted to love people,” he said.
While the late Tammy Fay may not have approved of today’s Republican Party, 83-year-old Jim Bakker has become a strong supporter of Trump, whom he often praises on his show where he preaches about the end times.
Jay told DailyMail.com that Bakker’s controversial views have put a wedge in their relationship.
Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker’s son Jay Bakker thinks she should be shocked that Donald Trump will become president of the US
Jay told DailyMail.com that his father Jim Bakker’s controversial views have driven a wedge in their relationship. He can be seen with Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker
“I think she would be shocked,” Bakker told DailyMail.com about Tammy Faye’s likely opinion that Donald Trump would become president. “I think it would be shocking to her too because of the way my parents were vilified, and now everyone, all the evangelicals are saying, ‘oh, no, it’s fine.'”
‘I have no relationship with my father. We haven’t spoken in a while,” he said Friday.
“He’s… I don’t even know how to explain it, so we’re just not in a relationship anymore.”
However, Jay does keep in touch with his older sister Tammy Sue.
“Me and my sister, we’ve been friends forever and she’s amazing and she just likes to live her life privately,” he added.
In the 1980s, Tammy Faye, who died in 2007 at the age of 65, electrified congregations with her elaborately coiffed hair and bizarre fluttering eyelashes.
But unlike many televangelists of the time, she was kind to gays and AIDS patients, making her a camp hero to many in the LGBT community.
Her story is told in the new Broadway show produced by Elton John, Tammy Faye: The Musical. The show premiered this month but will close in December after struggling to sell tickets.
Bakker said that Elton was like a grandfather to him and that he took great care to retell Tammy Faye’s complex story.
‘He always checks on me and says, “Are you happy? Are you okay?” Bakker talked about the megastar musician, adding that he also has a close friendship with his husband, David Furnish.
‘I have no relationship with my father. We haven’t spoken in a while,” Jay Bakker said of his father Jim Bakker
Tammy Faye Bakker holds her son Jamie Bakker’s arm as they walk to the prison in Rochester, Minnesota, to visit her husband, former televangelist Jim Bakker, in 1989
Bakker continued: “We’re very close and Elton is always just like a grandparent who watches you, makes sure you’re happy, makes sure the game is good and he has such a respect and love for my mother…
‘Every time he sees me, he grabs me and hugs me. So it’s really surreal too, because it’s, you know, Elton John.’
Before their demise, Tammy Faye and Bakker were said to have lived in tawdry luxury. Their dogs had air-conditioned kennels and the couple held a wedding ceremony for Tammy’s Yorkshire terrier and poodle.
The Bakkers got their start by appearing on Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network in 1966, before launching the PTL Satellite Network on their own in 1974.
Their fame and following grew over the next decade until 1986, when PTL reported a staggering $129 million in earnings.
The former couple’s evangelical empire included best-selling books, music and a Christian theme park called Heritage USA.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Bakker said Elton has been like a grandfather figure to him and that he has taken great care in retelling Tammy Faye’s complex story. They can be seen at the Thursday premiere of the new Broadway musical Tammy Faye
The business collapsed after a series of scandals, including everything from embezzling church funds to paying PTL secretary Jessica Hahn $279,000 in “hush money” after an alleged sexual encounter.
The couple divorced after Jim was indicted in 1988 for mail fraud and wire fraud and sentenced to 45 years in prison. He was released after serving five years following a successful sentence reduction hearing.
Tammy Faye married construction boss Roe Messner and took his last name. The couple remained happily married until her death from cancer in 2007.