Pastor Robert Jeffress on Monday denied predicting a civil war would erupt if President TrumpDonald John TrumpFederal judge halts California law targeting Trump tax returns Trump agriculture chief: No guarantee small farms can survive Harris presses Twitter to 'do something' over Trump's 'coup' tweet MORE was successfully removed from office after being impeached.

"I was not predicting and certainly not advocating an actual civil war," Jeffress said on Todd Starnes's Fox News Radio program, "but what I am saying is this: if President Trump, for whom 63 million Americans voted, if he becomes the first president in history to be actually removed from office I believe that's going to create a long lasting wound in this country, just like the Civil War did."

Jeffress's original comment on impeachment drew national attention after Trump tweeted it out Sunday.

"If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal," Trump tweeted, quoting Jeffress's appearance on Fox News.

Trump's amplification of the quote to his 65 million followers was met with significant backlash, including from within his own party.

Rep. Adam KinzingerAdam Daniel KinzingerDemocrat argues GOP had 'no deep love or loyalty' to Trump The Hill's Morning Report - Dems to hit gas on impeachment GOP lawmaker blasts Trump for quoting pastor warning of civil war over impeachment MORE (R-Ill.) tweeted that he had "never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezNew York Republican seeks to win back seat she lost to Democrat in 2018 New York City bans term 'illegal alien,' institutes fines up to 0K Ocasio-Cortez blasts McCarthy as a 'bumbling, sloppy, dishonest mess' over Trump defense MORE (D-N.Y.) said that she "truly can think of few things less patriotic, more cowardly, and plainly pathetic + reckless than amplifying calls for civil war within your own country."

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump calls on Republicans to vote out Democratic Louisiana governor amid GOP infighting GOP uneasy with Giuliani Pelosi's prescription drug 'negotiations' would harm Americans and benefit China, Russia MORE (D-Calif.) formally launched a Trump impeachment inquiry last week after details emerged of a phone call where Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading 2020 presidential candidate, and Biden's son Hunter.