Maayan Hoffman’s report for The Media Line opens a window into the political imagination of Dr. Mike Evans, a prominent evangelical supporter of President Donald Trump who is already gaming out 2028, Iran, Israel’s future, and the power of the evangelical vote.
Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Museum, told The Media Line that a Republican ticket pairing Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Ivanka Trump would be “almost impossible to beat.” In his telling, Rubio brings experience, Ivanka Trump brings the Trump brand and crossover appeal, and the evangelical base would line up behind them with unusual force. It is early, speculative, and politically spicy—the kind of prediction that either looks prophetic later or gets quietly buried with last year’s campaign buttons.
The interview quickly moves from 2028 politics to the hotter ground of Iran. Evans argues that President Trump is trying to strike a balance: pursuing a deal with Tehran while refusing to let Iran expand uranium enrichment, threaten the Strait of Hormuz, grow its missile program, or keep funding terror groups across the region. He says the US president is playing “the long game,” watching both Iran and the political clock ahead of the midterm elections.
Evans believes President Trump may try to delay another major confrontation with Iran until after those elections, not because he lacks willingness to strike, but because losing Republican control in Washington could weaken the president’s hand. Still, Evans warns that if Tehran deceives or underestimates President Trump, the response could be far harsher than Iranian leaders expect.
The story also moves through the Abraham Accords, Saudi Arabia, Israeli politics, and Evans’ long-standing belief that the Iranian regime could fall by 2028. He predicts President Trump will push more countries toward normalization with Israel and argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains uniquely beloved among global evangelicals.
Read the full article for Hoffman’s broader portrait of a religious-political power broker who sees Washington, Jerusalem, Tehran, and 2028 as pieces of the same board—and who believes President Trump still knows exactly how to play it.
