Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president’s backers say he shares faith, values

Peter Smith, Associated Press

As Donald Trump progressively infuses his run pinch Christian trappings while coasting to a 3rd Republican statesmanlike nomination, his support is arsenic beardown arsenic ever among evangelicals and different blimpish Christians.

“Trump supports Jesus, and without Jesus, America will fall,” said Kimberly Vaughn of Florence, Kentucky, arsenic she joined different supporters of nan erstwhile president entering a run rally adjacent Dayton, Ohio.

Many of nan T-shirts and hats that were worn and sold astatine nan rally successful March proclaimed belief slogans specified arsenic “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president” and “God, Guns & Trump.” One man’s garment declared, “Make America Godly Again,” pinch nan image of a sparkling Jesus putting his supportive hands connected Trump’s shoulders.

Many attendees said successful interviews they believed Trump shared their Christian religion and values. Several cited their guidance to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, peculiarly to transgender expressions.

Nobody voiced interest astir Trump’s past behaviour aliases his coming indictments connected criminal charges, including allegations that he tried to hide hush money payments to a porn character during his 2016 campaign. Supporters saw Trump arsenic representing a belief of 2nd chances.

And for many, Trump is simply a champion of Christianity and patriotism.

“I judge he believes successful God and our subject men and women, successful our country, successful America,” said Tammy Houston of New Lexington, Ohio.

“I put my family first, and connected a larger scale, it’s America first,” said Sherrie Cotterman of Sidney, Ohio. “And I would immoderate time of nan week, return a president that openly knows he needs nan spot from God complete his own.”

In galore ways, this is simply a acquainted story.

About 8 successful 10 achromatic evangelical Christians supported Trump successful 2020, according to AP VoteCast. Pew Research Center’s validated elector study recovered that a akin stock supported him successful 2016.

But this is simply a caller campaign, and that support has remained durable — moreover though Republican voters successful nan early primaries had respective blimpish Christian candidates to take from, nary of whom faced nan ineligible troubles and misconduct allegations that Trump does. In nan Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina Republican primaries, Trump won betwixt 55% and 69% of achromatic evangelical voters, according to AP VoteCast.

Trump moreover criticized 1 competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for signing strict abortion curbs into law.

Trump was nan only Republican campaigner facing scores of criminal charges, ranging from allegations that he conspired to overturn his 2020 predetermination conclusion to his existent proceedings connected allegations he falsified business records successful seeking illegally to sway nan 2016 predetermination pinch hush money to porn character Stormy Daniels.

Trump was besides nan only GOP campaigner pinch a history of casino ventures and 2 divorces, arsenic good arsenic allegations of intersexual misconduct — 1 of them affirmed by a civilian tribunal verdict.

Republican superior voters still overwhelmingly chose Trump.

This has disappointment a number of blimpish evangelicals who spot Trump arsenic an unrepentant poser, utilizing nan Bible and dream sessions for photograph props. They spot him arsenic lacking existent religion and facing credible, superior misconduct allegations while campaigning pinch incendiary rhetoric and authoritarian ambitions.

Karen Swallow Prior, a Christian writer and literate clever clever who criticized chap evangelicals’ clasp of Trump, said this support successful 2024 is acquainted but “intensified.”

In nan past, she said Trump supporters hoped but weren’t definite that he shared their Christian faith.

“Now his supporters judge themselves,” she said. “Despite nan truth that Trump intelligibly wavers connected abortion and he wavers connected LGBTQ issues, those things are conscionable ignored, they’re conscionable erased retired of nan narrative.”

At nan Ohio rally, respective attendees cited their belief that Trump has followed nan Christian way of repenting and starting a caller life.

“We’ve each travel from sinning. Jesus sat pinch sinners, truthful he’s going to beryllium pinch Trump,” Vaughn said. “It’s not astir wherever Trump came from, it’s astir wherever he’s going and wherever he’s trying to return us.”

The Ohio rally, for illustration different Trump events, featured a signaling of nan nationalist anthem sung by immoderate of those convicted for crimes related to nan Jan. 6, 2021, onslaught connected nan Capitol, whom Trump called “patriots.”

At nan rally’s entrance, 1 group handed retired pamphlets urging attendees some to “trust successful Jesus Christ for your salvation” and to support nan “J6 patriots.”

Jody Picagli of Englewood, Ohio, said her Catholic religion and views connected abortion are central.

“I’m a large right-to-life person,” she said. “That’s immense for me. And conscionable morals. I deliberation nan civilized compass is truthful retired of whack correct now. And we request belief and religion backmost successful here.”

She acknowledged that, pinch nan Supreme Court turning nan abortion rumor complete to nan states, a early President Trump whitethorn not effect abortion law.

“But I cognize he’ll ne'er spell to an abortion session and sojourn it, for illustration our vice president did,” she said, alluding to Kamala Harris’ circuit of a Planned Parenthood session successful Minnesota successful March.

Robert Jones, president of nan Public Religion Research Institute and an writer of books connected achromatic supremacy successful American Christianity, said nan beardown evangelical support for Trump isn’t surprising. But he said that successful a 2023 PRRI poll, little than half of achromatic evangelicals said that abortion was a captious rumor to them personally. More than half said that 5 others were a captious issue, including quality trafficking, nationalist schools, rising prices, migration and crime.

“One of nan biggest myths astir achromatic evangelical support for Trump is this thought that it’s really astir abortion and they’re holding their chemoreceptor and voting for Trump,” Jones said.

He added that Trump’s rhetoric astir immigrants “invading nan state and changing our taste heritage” resonates pinch his audience.

The motto “Make America Great Again” echoes an “ethno-religious imagination of a achromatic Christian America, conscionable hardly underneath nan surface,” Jones said.

He acknowledged nan group lines aren’t absolute, pinch Trump attracting achromatic supporters specified arsenic South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

The Ohio rally included a immense mostly of achromatic attendees but pinch immoderate achromatic and different taste groups represented.

Trump’s rallies return connected nan symbols, rhetoric and schedule of Christian nationalism, which typically includes a belief that America was founded to beryllium a Christian federation and seeks to privilege Christianity successful nationalist life.

Trump endorsed a Bible version that includes U.S. founding documents and nan lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless nan USA.”

“This is simply a Bible specifically for a benignant of achromatic evangelical assemblage that sees themselves arsenic nan rightful inheritors of nan country,” Jones said, citing a 2023 PRRI canvass successful which astir half of achromatic evangelicals agreed that God intended America arsenic a promised onshore for European Christians.

At nan Ohio rally, immoderate attendees said they believed nan federation aliases its founding documents, specified arsenic nan Bill of Rights, had Christian origins, though historians conflict specified assertions.

Some Trump supporters voiced dream for a much Christian America.

Thomas Isbell of Greensboro, North Carolina, who has group up vending booths astatine galore Trump rallies, said his “God, Guns & Trump” shirts are a apical seller.

“It’s a Christian country,” he said, adding that if he were president, he would only let nationalist believe by Christians.

“We’re not going to group up a temple to nary different gods successful our land,” he said.

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Associated Press belief sum receives support done nan AP’s collaboration pinch The Conversation US, pinch backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Sherrie Cotterman stands for a image while successful statement astatine a run rally for erstwhile president Donald Trump successful Vandalia, Ohio, connected Saturday, March 16, 2024. Trump, who is coasting to a 3rd Republican statesmanlike nomination, continues to tie beardown support from evangelicals and different blimpish Christians. | Jessie Wardarski, AP Photo