As 2020 dawns, Trump looks to boost evangelical support

In his first campaign move of 2020 election year, President Donald Trump on Friday will visit a mega-church in Miami to highlight his support among evangelicals as he aims to shore up and expand support from an influential piece of his political base.

president will host kickoff meeting of “Evangelicals for Trump” just days after he was subject a scathing editorial in Christianity Today magazine that called for his removal from office. But Trump's campaign believes that his record in office, including installation of two Supreme Court justices, will cement votes of religious conservatives this year.

“I think his record in past three years is rock-solid in things that faith community cares about him," said Jentezen Franklin, a pastor to a megachurch in Georgia. “We used to see politicians once every four years but this one is totally different in constantly reaching out to faith community and we even get a chance to tell him when we disagree."

Campaign officials said Miami event was in works well before Christianity Today op-ed which raised fresh questions about durability of his support among conservative evangelicals who have proven to be a critical component of his political base.

magazine’s editorial, written by editor-in-chief Mark Galli, envisions a mess to those evangelical Christians who have remained stalwart Trump backers “in spite of his blackened moral record.”

“Remember who you are and whom you serve,” Galli’s editorial states. “Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in cause of political expediency.”

piece, which comes in a magazine founded by late Rev. Billy Graham, was deunced by Trump, who tweeted " president has done more for evangelical community."

Graham’s son, Franklin Graham, a major Trump supporters, also criticized his far’s former magazine. But most political observers doubt it will cause many evangelicals to desert Trump, who received more than 80 percent of ir vote in 2016.

Still, campaign is taking few chances, citing president's support for Israel, installation of federal judges and prison reform as way to furr jolt evangelical turut that could help m secure wins in states like Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, rth Carolina and Georgia.

More than 5,000 people are expected to attend event at El Rey Jesús church. kickoff of “Evangelicals for Trump,” which will be followed in weeks ahead by launches of “Catholics for Trump”” and “Jewish Voices for Trump,” also comes days after Trump and his wife went to an evangelical Christmas Eve service in West Palm Beach rar than liberal Episcopalian church in which y were married and often attend holiday services.

Advisers believe that emphasizing religious issues may also provide inroads with Lati voters, who have largely steered clear of supporting president. In particular, even a slight uptick with faith-focused Latis could help Trump carry Florida and provide some needed breathing room in states like Texas.

“President Trump has appointed well over 180 solid, conservative federal judges, including two exemplary Supreme Court justices. He has defended religious freedoms and has stood as most pro-life president we’ve ever had,” said campaign press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “Evangelicals for Trump will eng Christian community nationwide to overwhelming re-elect President Trump in 2020.”

) event comes just day after a new poll revealed that white evangelical Protestants stand ticeably apart from or religious people on how government should act on two of most politically divisive issues at play in 2020 presidential election.

Asked about significant restrictions on abortion -- making it illegal except in cases of rape, incest or to threats to a mor’s life -- 37% of all Americans responded in support, according to poll conducted by Associated Press-RC Center for Public Affairs Research. Those abortion limits drew 39% support from white mainline Protestants, 33% support from nwhite Protestants and 45% support from Catholics, but 67% support from white evangelical Protestants.

A similar divide emerged over wher government should bar discrimination against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans in workplaces, housing or schools. About 6 in 10 Catholics, white mainline Protestants and nwhite Protestants supported those protections, compared with about a third of white evangelical Protestants.

White evangelicals were also more likely than members of or faiths to say religion should have at least some influence on policy-making.

Rev. Franklin Graham pointed to Trump’s record on abortion as a key driver of president’s support from his religious community.

“I don’t think evangelicals are united on every position president takes or says, but y do recognize he is most pro-life-friendly president in modern history,” Graham said in a recent interview. “He has appointed conservative judges that will affect my children and grandchildren’s lives, long after he’s gone.”

But Democrats have shown strong interest in connecting with voters of faith, even evangelicals whom Trump is often assumed to have locked down. And some religious leaders believe people of faith may be turned off by Trump’s personal conduct or record.

"Friday’s rally is Trump’s desperate response to realization that he is losing his primary voting bloc — faith voters. He kws he needs every last vote if he wants a shot at re-election, as losing just 5% of faith voters ends his chances,” Pastor Doug Pagitt, executive director of Vote Common Good. “In addition, he is trying to use this part of his base to give cover for his broken promises and immoral policies.”