Trump works to mobilize religious voters

Former President Donald Trump and a group of faith leaders recently announced an effort to engage and unite religious voters. Called the National Faith Advisory board, it reassembles longtime Trump religious advisers and could support another run for president.

Televangelist Paula White, who prayed at Trump’s inauguration, said the board would continue the work of a group of religious leaders who advised Trump during his time in office. She named former White House officials Amanda Robbins Vargo and Jennifer Korn and said they and 70 unnamed “executives” had joined the new group.

Leaders from Catholic Vote, My Faith Votes, and politics-focused prayer group Intercessors for America spoke at the online kickoff meeting. They asked Trump for his take on President Joe Biden’s handling of religious freedom and abortion. Trump pointed out that Biden has rescinded the Mexico City policy, which banned the U.S. foreign aid money from funding abortions. He slammed Biden for rising inflation, the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan, and attempting to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, and he repeated the claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.

Trump also complained that Catholic and Jewish people hadn’t voted for him despite his opposition to abortion and support for Israel, including moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. About half of Catholic voters in the 2020 presidential election cast their ballots for Trump, along with about 31 percent of Jewish voters, according to polling by AP VoteCast.

The National Faith Advisory board could try to improve those numbers if Trump decides to run for president again in 2024. A recent flurry of rallies, press statements, and fundraising efforts suggests he’s thinking about it. After Trump spoke at last week’s meeting, Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in the Dallas–Fort Worth area prayed that Americans who “voted the wrong way” would vote differently in future elections after seeing Biden’s policy choices. Then meeting organizer David Kubal of Intercessors for America unmuted all the attendees’ microphones and everyone prayed out loud, voices blending into an incomprehensible murmur. Kubal urged attendees to return weekly for more prayer.