Donald Trump was a casino owner, married three times and had a civil conviction for sexual assault, but for years he remained an unlikely role model for evangelical Christians, a key constituency in the United States.
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Many of these ardent believers see the former president, who gave them a major victory in the fight against abortion, as the best option for the November election.
Some are even convinced that he was appointed by God to prevent America from falling into damnation.
Speaking to a group of religious radio stations on Thursday, the Republican will once again try to capture the attention of evangelical America.
But the love story between Donald Trump and this community, which represents more than a quarter of the American electorate, was not a given.
When Donald Trump first entered the race for the White House in 2015, the Republican, with his alleged penchant for transgressing and provoking the country's religious right, didn't necessarily have much to offer.
But the former reality TV star managed to win support, particularly through a proposal to appoint anti-abortion Supreme Court justices, a popular issue for this segment of the electorate. And by electing Mike Pence as vice president, a former radio host, ultra-conservative and devout Christian.
When Americans went to the polls in November 2016, 77% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, according to Pew Research. Support rose to 84% in the 2020 election.
“Barbarians”
But with the constitutional guarantee of the right to abortion set to end in 2022 by a Supreme Court to which Donald Trump appointed three conservative justices, what does this electorate expect from a man not known for spending his Sunday mornings in church? spend?
According to journalist Tim Alberta, the evangelical right fears that it is in mortal danger in a country that is now much less in keeping with its image.
“When you consider the fact that the culture wars have developed so strongly against them and that the country is changing so dramatically in such a short period of time, you begin to understand why there is this fear, this fear,” he emphasized during a series of interviews for his book “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory,” which is about the evangelical right’s support for Donald Trump.
“When you believe that the barbarians are at our gates, you say to yourself: 'Maybe we need a barbarian to protect us,'” he summarizes.
For this community, which represents only 14.5% of the population but 28% of voters, the fact that the real estate tycoon is not religious does not matter. They feel like he is on their side.
“People feel like he understands them. Even if certain aspects of his life do not correspond to their lifestyle or morals, they feel that he understands them, told USA Today Troy Miller, head of the National Religious Broadcasters, who invited Mr. Trump to address the body Thursday .
Christian nationalism
To an outside observer, it might seem surprising that the non-religious Donald Trump is vastly preferred to practicing Christians – Joe Biden is a devout Catholic, but according to Pew Research he only has 14% support among evangelicals.
Even those on the Republican side of the evangelical movement lose out in face-to-face conversations with the billionaire: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott both failed in the party's primary process and are now in line behind the ex-president.
For Tim Alberta, this support has its roots in a Christian nationalism that mixes biblical ideas of paradise with the idea of America.
“There are millions of people in this country who, deep in their flesh, truly believe that America … has a special relationship with God,” he said. “That’s why the fight for America is a fight for God.”
“And this guy, Donald Trump, who shares none of your values… is ready to go to war for you,” the journalist summarizes.