Trump endorses Ten Commandments in schools, implores evangelical Christians to vote in November

Michelle L. Price and Ayanna Alexander, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump told a group of evangelicals they “cannot spend to beryllium connected nan sidelines” of nan 2024 election, imploring them astatine 1 constituent to “go and vote, Christians, please!”

Trump besides endorsed displaying nan Ten Commandments successful schools and elsewhere while speaking to a group of politically influential evangelical Christians successful Washington connected Saturday. He drew cheers arsenic he invoked a caller rule signed successful Louisiana this week requiring nan Ten Commandments to beryllium displayed successful each nationalist schoolhouse classroom.

“Has anyone publication nan ‘Thou shalt not steal’? I mean, has anybody publication this unthinkable stuff? It’s conscionable incredible,” Trump said astatine nan gathering of nan Faith & Freedom Coalition. “They don’t want it to spell up. It’s a crazy world.’’

Trump a time earlier posted an endorsement of nan caller rule connected his societal media network, saying: “I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER. READ IT — HOW CAN WE, AS A NATION, GO WRONG???”

The erstwhile president and presumptive Republican statesmanlike nominee backed nan move arsenic he seeks to galvanize his supporters connected nan belief right, which has fiercely backed him aft initially being suspicious of nan twice-divorced New York City tabloid personage erstwhile he first ran for president successful 2016.

That support has continued contempt his condemnation successful nan first of 4 criminal cases he faces, successful which a assemblage past period recovered him blameworthy of falsifying business records for what prosecutors said was an effort to screen up a hush money costs to porn character Stormy Daniels conscionable earlier nan 2016 election. Daniels claims she had a intersexual brushwood pinch Trump a decade earlier, which he denies.

Trump’s stated guidance to signing a nationwide prohibition connected abortion and his reluctance to item immoderate of his views connected nan rumor are astatine likelihood pinch galore members of nan evangelical movement, a cardinal portion of Trump’s guidelines that’s expected to thief him move retired voters successful his November rematch pinch Democratic President Joe Biden.

But while galore members of nan activity would for illustration to spot him do much to restrict abortion, they cheer him arsenic nan top champion for nan origin because of his domiciled successful appointing U.S. Supreme Court justices who overturned nationalist abortion authorities successful 2022.

Trump highlighted that Saturday, saying, “We did thing that was amazing,” but nan rumor would beryllium near to group to determine successful nan states.

“Every elector has to spell pinch your bosom and do what’s right, but we besides person to get elected,” he said.

While he still takes in installments for nan reversal of Roe v. Wade, Trump has besides warned abortion tin beryllium tricky politically for Republicans. For months, he deferred questions astir his position connected a nationalist ban.

Last year, erstwhile Trump addressed nan Faith & Freedom Coalition, he said location was “a captious domiciled for nan national authorities successful protecting unborn life” but didn’t connection immoderate specifications beyond that.

In April of this year, Trump said he believed nan rumor should now beryllium near to nan states. He later stated successful an question and reply that he would not motion a nationwide prohibition connected abortion if it was passed by Congress. He has still declined to item his position connected women’s entree to nan abortion pill mifepristone.

About two-thirds of Americans opportunity abortion should mostly beryllium legal, according to polling past twelvemonth by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Attendees astatine nan evangelical gathering connected Saturday said that while they’d for illustration to spot a nationalist abortion ban, Trump isn’t losing immoderate of their heavy support.

“I would for illustration if he would motion a nationalist ban,” said Jerri Dickinson, a 78-year-old retired societal worker and Faith & Freedom personnel from New Jersey. “I understand though, that arsenic successful accordance pinch nan Constitution, that determination should beryllium near up to nan states.”

Dickinson said she can’t guidelines nan abortion rule successful her state, which does not group limits connected nan process based connected gestational age. But she said extracurricular of preferring a nationalist ban, leaving nan rumor to nan authorities “is nan champion alternative.”

According to AP VoteCast, a wide-ranging study of nan electorate, astir 8 successful 10 achromatic evangelical Christian voters supported Trump successful 2020, and astir 4 successful 10 Trump voters identified arsenic achromatic evangelical Christians. White evangelical Christians made up astir 20% of nan wide electorate that year.

Beyond conscionable offering their ain support successful nan wide election, nan Faith & Freedom Coalition plans to thief get retired nan ballot for Trump and different Republicans, aiming to usage volunteers and paid workers to sound connected millions of doors successful battleground states.

Trump besides rallied voters successful Philadelphia connected Saturday pinch a reside heavy focused connected convulsive crime, telling supporters astatine an arena that he would assistance constabulary officers immunity from prosecution.

“Under Crooked Joe, nan City of Brotherly Love is being ravaged by bloodshed and crime,” he said. “We will surge national rule enforcement resources to nan places that request them most.”

Statistics from nan Philadelphia metropolis controller opportunity location were 410 homicides successful 2023, a 20% driblet compared to 2022.

Tyler Cecconi, 25, of Richmond, Virginia, said he was gladsome that Trump is stepping retired of his comfortableness area and going to places that whitethorn not beryllium red. At nan venue, a integer banner publication “Philadelphia is Trump Country.”

“He’s showing nan group that sloppy if you ballot for him aliases not, aliases if it’s a bluish region aliases a reddish county, it doesn’t matter to him,” Cecconi said. “A president is for everybody successful this country.”

The GOP Senate campaigner of Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick, attended nan rally and appeared connected shape to talk to voters astir nan system and immigration.

“This system is not moving for astir Pennsylvanians, and it’s not moving for astir Americans,” McCormick said.

At some events, Trump returned respective times to nan taxable of nan U.S.-Mexico separator and erstwhile describing migrants crossing it arsenic “tough,” he said that he told his friend Dana White, nan president of nan Ultimate Fighting Championship, to enlist them successful a caller type of nan sport.

“‘Why don’t you group up a migrant convention and person your regular convention of fighters. And past you person nan champion of your league, these are nan top fighters successful nan world, fighting nan champion of nan migrants,’” Trump described saying to White. “I deliberation nan migrant feline mightiness win, that’s really reliable they are. He didn’t for illustration that thought excessively much.”

Biden’s run responded to Trump’s remarks by saying it was “fitting” that Trump, convicted of a felony, spent clip astatine a belief convention making threats astir migration and “bragging astir ripping distant Americans’ freedoms.”

“Trump’s incoherent, unhinged tirade showed voters successful his ain words that he is simply a threat to our freedoms and is excessively vulnerable to beryllium fto anyplace adjacent nan White House again,” run spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said successful a statement.

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Alexander reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon, Tom Strong and Amelia Thomson DeVeaux contributed to this report.

Republican statesmanlike campaigner erstwhile President Donald Trump addresses nan Road to Majority convention successful Washington, Saturday, June 22. | Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press