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Donald Trump’s approval rating hit a new low this month, but there’s one group that still staunchly stands by him.
According to a recent Pew poll, 69 percent of white evangelical Christians approve of his job performance. That number has dropped slightly from last year, but the investment Trump made in winning over religious conservatives continues to pay dividends.
The question is what any self-proclaimed religious person gets out of the deal.
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During his first presidential campaign, Trump made active outreach to Christians. Those efforts were mostly farcical: He claimed the Bible was his “favorite book” but he couldn’t recall a single verse from it when asked. During a speech at Liberty University, he referred to “Second Corinthians” as “Two Corinthians.” He even told a group of social conservatives that he’d never sought forgiveness from God: “I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right,” he said. “I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
Despite his transparent phoniness, it wasn’t long before Trump pulled ahead of Ted Cruz among evangelical voters in the GOP primary. Eight years later, neither Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley could break his hold on this demo, even after he’d been found liable for sexual assault and was about to stand trial for making an illegal “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Back in 2017, Trump continued to go through the motions. Weeks into his first term, he attempted to play the part of a normal religious person, but he’s obviously no method actor. At the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast, he was subdued — low energy even — as he dutifully recited words that at least seemed like a functioning adult had written them.
“I was blessed to be raised in a churched home,” Trump said, fresh off his upset victory. “My mother and father taught me that to whom much is given much is expected. I was sworn in on the very Bible from which my mother would teach us as young children. And that faith lives on in my heart every single day.”
Then Trump practically went woke: “The people in this room come from many, many backgrounds. You represent so many religions and so many views. But we are all united by our faith in our Creator and our firm knowledge that we are all equal in His eyes. We are not just flesh and bone and blood. We are human beings, with souls. Our Republic was formed on the basis that freedom is not a gift from government, but that freedom is a gift from God.”
Trump did veer off script with some digs at Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’d replaced him as host of The Apprentice. He still produced the show, so this blatant self-promotion actually made headlines. But it was a mild offense compared to any random Thursday during his second term.
Back then, Trump’s handlers — and maybe even Trump himself — did a better job containing his true, repulsive nature. Now, what was once occasional miscues have become the entire production. There are no better angels surrounding Trump in his current administration, and his growing lack of inhibition was on full display during his remarks at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast. It was a shamelessly partisan rant that made his hate rallies seem like statesman addresses.
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