Trump Religious Faith Under Scrutiny
On Wednesday, a new media campaign from Vice President Kamala Harris’s supporters aimed to sway Christian voters who are currently unimpressed with former President Donald Trump’s campaign. The ad, released by Evangelicals for Harris—a 501(c)(4) group linked with Faith Voters—features a provocative clip from a 2015 interview where Trump discussed his faith with GOP pollster Frank Luntz.
In the ad, the opening sequence includes a powerful segment of Rev. Billy Graham discussing the importance of seeking forgiveness. This is followed by a 2015 interview clip where Trump admits to Luntz that he is unsure whether he has ever asked for forgiveness and suggests that he does not involve God in his reflections on forgiveness. The ad then poses a stark question on-screen: “Is there any greater denial of Christ than to say, ‘I do not need his forgiveness?’”
The campaign will initially roll out on social media and later expand to television spots in swing states, targeting conservative Christian media platforms. This release coincides with a Zoom call featuring activist Ekemini Uwan, further amplifying the ad’s reach. According to the Christian Broadcasting Network, this campaign reflects a broader effort to present Harris as a sincere and devout Christian, underscoring her respect for various faith traditions, including her engagement with Jewish customs through her husband, Doug Emhoff. The organization claims over 200,000 evangelical Christians have pledged to support and volunteer for the Harris-Walz ticket.
John Pavlovitz, an organizer for the group, criticized the way spiritual conversations have been dominated by the Christian right. He expressed a desire to offer a different perspective, suggesting that the Democratic Party has ceded spiritual discussions to Republicans and aims to provide a counter-narrative.
Trump has maintained strong support from evangelical voters, who have been pivotal to his political success. According to Pew Research Center, 85% of white evangelical voters who regularly attend church supported Trump in 2020, an increase from 77% in 2016. Even with multiple conservative Christian candidates in the Republican primaries, Trump continued to dominate among this key demographic, winning between 55% and 69% of their votes in early states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Trump’s campaign events have sometimes mirrored religious services, and he has publicly attributed his success to divine favor, particularly after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt. However, his comparisons of himself to Jesus Christ and other controversial actions, such as holding a Bible in front of a vandalized church during the 2020 protests and selling a $60 patriotic Bible, have sparked criticism and accusations of sacrilege.
With President Joe Biden out of the 2024 race and Harris as the Democratic nominee, the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition is focusing on what they view as Harris’s problematic record. They have pledged to highlight her failures on key issues such as border security and her stance on abortion, portraying her as out of touch with the values of many faith-driven voters.
