Former President Donald J. Trump used the word persecution on Monday to make a sweeping case that he is the only one who can protect Christian voters, and if he loses in November, there will be legal and cultural consequences. implicitly warned religious groups that they would be exposed to political and global attacks.
Trump, a former tabloid darling who was once caught on tape bragging about grabbing women’s genitals, described himself as a Christian at the 11th Hour Faith Leaders Conference in Concord, North Carolina. He spoke as a Christian as well as a champion of the cause and values of. members of the faithful.
On Monday, two days after making a vulgar comment about the size of a famous golfer’s penis at a rally and insulting Vice President Kamala Harris with profanity, Mr. He talked about the importance of religion. He credits his survival of an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania to divine intervention.
But Trump, who previously energized the evangelicals who supported him, is now being held politically accountable, even as he curries favor with Christian voters by claiming he is one of them. He avoided directly addressing the current issue, namely his role in reversing Roe v. Wade.
Trump cited the appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices as one of his accomplishments. But he did not mention or acknowledge that these justices played a pivotal role in the decision to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion. During his nearly hour-long speech to a crowd that included evangelical leaders, he never mentioned Roe or abortion or used the term “pro-life.”
Trump sees abortion as his biggest weakness in his presidential campaign after hurting Republicans in the 2022 midterm elections. Trump has pushed to soften the anti-abortion rhetoric in the Republican Party’s official platform and has made contradictory statements on abortion. It appeals to moderate voters while appeasing social conservatives.
Instead of highlighting the issue, Trump focused on portraying his political opponents as anti-religious, falsely suggesting that Christians, especially Roman Catholics, would not be safe if Harris were elected president. He reiterated the misleading claims.
He cited Harris’ support for abolishing the Senate filibuster and accused her of trying to pack the Supreme Court “to subvert your values.”
Under Harris, “the radical left is not going to leave Christians alone. Things are going to get worse and worse, and you’re going to suffer a lot.”
Mr. Trump has said he believes a large number of religious voters could help him win in battleground states. On Wednesday, he is scheduled to participate in a town hall-style forum at a church in Zebulon, Georgia, which his campaign says will focus on religious freedom.
Trump has blamed a lack of Christian votes, and his event in the Charlotte suburb of Concord was an attempt to boost turnout. The atmosphere inside the convention center was a mix of a raucous Trump rally and an evangelical religious service. At a typical campaign event, Trump’s crowd would chant “USA!” and “Trump!” as an expression of their fandom. This time, the first collective chant during Trump’s speech was “Yes!”
At one point, Trump expressed surprise at seeing one of America’s most famous pastors, the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, a best-selling self-help author and pastor who died in 1993. did. inspired and influenced him.
As Mr. Trump concluded his speech, someone in the crowd yelled, “Brandon, let’s go,” a right-wing phrase used to express a vulgar insult toward President Biden.
Mr. Trump’s speeches to evangelical voters were at times awkward. During the 2016 election campaign, when he was vying for support from evangelicals, he drew ridicule when he referred to Second Corinthians as the “Two Corinthians.” Earlier this year, he offended faith leaders in Iowa by amplifying a viral video praising him as a messenger of a higher power sent to save America.
Concord is Trump’s third stop of the day in North Carolina, a battleground state he won in 2016 and 2020 and whose campaign has made it a central focus of his efforts to return to the White House.
He began the day with a news conference in storm-hit western North Carolina, criticizing the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helen and making false claims about the federal government’s response.
He then traveled to Greenville, North Carolina, for a rally where he continued to slam the federal government’s response to the hurricane, repeatedly made personal insults toward Ms. Harris, and stoked fears about illegal immigration. He also revived calls for using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport members of criminal organizations without due process. “Think about 1798,” Trump told the audience. “That’s when real politicians said they don’t play games. We have to go back to 1798.”
