Donald Trump was a casino owner, married three times and civilly convicted of sexual assault, but has remained for years an unlikely role model for evangelical Christians, a key electorate in the United States.
Many of these fervent believers see the former president, who offered them a major victory in their 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.
By speaking to a group of religious radio stations on Thursday, the Republican will once again seek to cultivate the attention of evangelical America.
The love story between Donald Trump and this community, which represents more than a quarter of the American electorate, was not, however, a foregone conclusion.
When Donald Trump first entered the race for the White House in 2015, the Republican, with a claimed taste for transgression and provocation, did not necessarily have much to offer to the country’s religious right .
But the former reality TV star managed to secure support, notably by proposing to appoint anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court, a favorite theme for this segment of the electorate. And by choosing as vice-president Mike Pence, a former radio host, ultraconservative 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 which increased to 84% during the 2020 election.
“He understands them”
But with the end of the constitutional guarantee of the right to abortion decided in 2022 by a Supreme Court where Donald Trump appointed three conservative judges, what does this electorate still hope for from a man not known for spending his Sunday mornings at the church ?
According to journalist Tim Alberta, the evangelical right fears being in mortal danger in a country which today is much less in its image.
“When you consider the fact that the culture wars have swung so sharply 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 anxiety.” , he highlighted during a series of interviews for his book “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory”, which deals with the support of the evangelical right to Donald Trump.
“If you believe that the barbarians are at our gates, then 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’s on their side.
“People feel like he understands them. Even if certain aspects of his life do not correspond to their lifestyle or their morality, they feel like he understands them,” Troy Miller, head of National Religious Broadcasters, who invited Mr. Trump to address the body on Thursday.
Christian nationalism
To an outside observer, it may seem surprising that the non-religious Donald Trump is far preferred to practicing Christians — Joe Biden is a devout Catholic but, according to Pew Research, he attracts only 14% support among evangelicals. whites.
Even those who belong to the evangelical movement on the Republican side are losing out in the face-to-face with the billionaire: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott both failed in the primary process of the party and are now lining up behind the ex-president.
For Tim Alberta, this support finds its roots in a Christian nationalism that has mixed biblical notions of paradise with the very idea of America.
“There are millions of people in this country who truly believe, deep in their flesh, that America … has a special relationship with God,” he said. “Therefore, fighting for America is fighting for God.”
“And this guy, Donald Trump, who shares none of your values… is ready to go to war for you,” summarizes the journalist.
