Evangelicals stick with Trump, see upside even if he loses
The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him again in 2020. But even if Trump doesnt get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this years election results. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)WASHINGTON โ The conservative evangelical Christians who helped send Donald Trump to the White House four years ago stuck by him in 2020. But even if Trump doesnโt get a second term, some conservative Christians see reasons to celebrate in this yearโs election results. White evangelical voters made up 23% of the vote nationwide and overwhelmingly favored Trump this fall, with about 8 in 10 backing him, according to AP VoteCast.
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
Vice President Mike Pence, left, greets Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress, right, after Pence spoke at the Southern Baptist megachurch First Baptist Dallas during a Celebrate Freedom Rally in Dallas, Sunday, June 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Virus loans helped entities tied to Trump evangelical allies
(AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)NEW YORK โ Churches connected to President Donald Trump and other organizations linked to current or former Trump evangelical advisers received at least $17.3 million in loans from a federal rescue package designed to aid small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Graham, whose megachurch claims more than 42,000 members, is not related to Trump evangelical adviser Franklin Graham, son of the late Rev. Other program beneficiaries connected to veteran evangelical Trump allies include The Faith & Freedom Coalition, founded by conservative strategist Ralph Reed, which got a loan of between $150,000 and $350,000. King Jesus International Ministry, the Miami megachurch where Trump launched his evangelical outreach push ahead of Novemberโs election, received a loan of between $2 million and $5 million according to the data. That church's pastor, Guillermo Maldonado, was also among a group of faith leaders who met and prayed with Trump at the White House last fall.
Trump's faithful: 2020 tests his ties to white evangelicals
Trump's bond with white evangelical voters has long sparked debate. But another reason the relationship is scrutinized is that Trump's political vulnerability could grow if more white evangelicals sour on him over perceived moral missteps. โWeโre going right at it.โBut challenging Trumpโs hold on white evangelicals who have proven stalwart conservatives since the Reagan era may require flawed assumptions about their decision-making. Some who have bolstered the twice-divorced, occasionally profane Trump's credentials with white evangelicals warn against underestimating the current president's connection with those born-again Christian voters. White evangelical Protestants account for just 16% of U.S. adults, according to Pewโs data.