Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. on Sunday offered praise for Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE, saying the president-elect's platform during his campaign resonated with evangelicals and Christians.

"There's a new hope, an optimism. There's a good spirit in America," Falwell said during a Christmas Day appearance on "Fox News Sunday."

"And I think that's coming from his lead."

Falwell said he endorsed Trump because he saw him as someone who "really loved the American people" and was "for the working man."

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"It was sort of a gamble because I didn't know where he'd come down on all the issues, but because I believed he was a good man, I believed he would come down on the right side of the issues and he's done that in the last year and I've been proud of him," he said.

"So much was at stake, I just couldn't afford to stay silent."

He admitted the president-elect "never pretended to be a theologian."

"And I said all through the campaign that we're not electing a pastor-in-chief," Falwell said.

"We have to find the candidate who is most likely to support all the values that we hold dear. And Evangelicals aren't that much different than the general population."

Falwell added it's been exciting to watch the president-elect assemble his cabinet.

"I think what Trump is doing with his cabinet is assembling a dream team," he said.

Trump won the white evangelical vote by historic margins, taking a bigger share with the group than recent GOP presidential nominees Mitt Romney, John McCain John Sidney McCainThe Memo: Trump's strengths complicate election picture Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' Cindy McCain: Trump allegedly calling war dead 'losers' was 'pretty much' last straw before Biden endorsement MORE and even President George W. Bush did, according to exit polls.