A new “Believers for Trump” coalition of church congregations aims to boost support for former President Donald Trump among people of faith, with its companion “Believers and Ballots” program focusing on registering voters and ensuring they cast ballots. The former president announced these initiatives at a Christian conference on July 26 at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in Florida.
He opened his remarks at The Believers’ Summit by acknowledging that he survived an assassination attempt through “the power of prayer and the grace of Almighty God.” The Florida conference marked the first time Trump has appeared in public without a bandage covering his gunshot wound. “I just took off the last bandage off of my ear,” he told the audience, adding that he was going to “talk about religion a little more than usual.”
“I don’t want to scold you,” Trump told the Christian gathering. But, he said, Christians often fail to exercise their “tremendous power” as a voting bloc. “You can now vote in church,” he noted, pointing out that North Carolina launches the nation’s early-voting season on Sept. 6. He most recently visited that state on July 24, drawing a capacity crowd of about 11,000 people to the Bojangles Coliseum.
Attendance estimates for the Florida event, organized by Turning Point USA Faith and Turning Point Action, were not available. As the Republican nominee, Trump is expected to face Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election. She has become the leading contender to become the Democrats’ presidential nominee after President Joe Biden’s departure from the race on July 21.
In the 2020 election between Trump and candidate Joe Biden, “Americans’ religious identities were clearly related to their vote,” Gallup polls noted. White evangelical Christians made up about one-fourth of the electorate, “and they voted overwhelmingly for Trump,” Gallup said. About 65 percent of people who had no religious identity voted for Biden, who also enjoyed strong support from “almost all non-Christian groups.” Now, Trump is urging his Christian audience: “You gotta vote.” Turnout needs to be so large that it would overcome any possible irregularities, he said, joining the crowd in chanting, “Too big to rig!” The audience also chanted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” with raised fists, repeating what Trump said and did when he rose to his feet after being shot.
Noting that opponents have accused him of being a “threat to democracy,” Trump said, “I took a bullet for democracy!” He promised to safeguard religious rights, noting that government officials restricted church services during the COVID-19 pandemic—a violation of constitutional rights, he said. Upon winning reelection, Trump said he would create a new federal task force to combat “anti-Christian bias.” That group would focus on investigating “all forms of illegal discrimination, harassment, and persecution against Christians in America,” Trump said, reiterating a pledge he made late last summer at the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit in Washington. “Americans of faith are not a threat to our country. They are the soul of our country,” he said.
Known for his frank and sometimes colorful language, Trump enjoyed a lighthearted moment with the audience when he admitted that he doesn’t always adhere to religious leaders’ admonishments. The Rev. Franklin Graham had implored him in a note: “please don’t use foul language,” Trump said. The audience applauded, and he continued: “I tried it for a couple of nights, actually… it didn’t work out so well.” “I use a politically correct word,” he said, “and the whole thing just falls flat.” The audience chuckled along with Trump, who said, with playful exasperation: “I’m trying, Franklin!”
Trump said that although he loves Christians and is one himself, he believes in standing up for religious liberty for other faiths, including Judaism. Earlier in the day, he met at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, home with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—leader of the Jewish state. Trump said that, upon reelection, he would support Israel in its quest to win a “war on terror.” Israel has been at war against Hamas terrorists since that group’s invasion on Oct. 7, 2023.
He also reflected on the importance of faith in the United States, saying the nation was “built and sustained by Americans of faith.” “It was faith that led the pilgrims to cross an ocean and settle this majestic continent. It was belief in our Creator that led the patriots to defend their liberties in the War for Independence,” he said. Then, “faith in America’s God-given destiny” inspired pioneers to journey to the West, he said. “And it was trusting God that led generations of American believers to end slavery, defeat fascism and communism, and make this into the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world,” he said. However, he believes the nation “has lost its way,” and he resolves that, if reelected, he will set America back on the right track.
Trump vowed to “restore common sense to Washington, D.C.” That includes halting policies that would “let men into women’s and girls’ locker rooms,” and keeping men out of women’s sports. He pledges to stand up for parental rights and oppose policies that allow minors “to change their gender without parental consent.” The 45th president reminded people that, if he becomes the 47th president, he would sign an executive order to “cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content onto the lives of our children.” That promise, which he has repeated often throughout the 2024 campaign, drew a sustained round of applause and chants of “Save Our Kids!”
Trump’s speech to the Christian group was followed by remarks at the Bitcoin Conference in Nashville on Saturday. He also made an appearance at a campaign stop in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). On July 30, Vance is scheduled for two rallies in Nevada—Henderson and Reno. Trump will hold a solo rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 31, while Vance heads to Glendale, Arizona.
