(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President Donald Trump has launched a “Believers for Trump” coalition to mobilize faith-based communities and church congregations in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election and just weeks after he faced an assassination attempt.
According to a statement from the Trump campaign, the coalition seeks to promote Trump’s accomplishments during his four years in office. “People of faith are rallying around President Trump’s campaign because of his proven track record of defending religious freedom,” the statement read.
Supported by a “Believers and Ballots” program, the coalition aims to drive Christian voter turnout in the upcoming election. Focusing on key battleground states, the program will seek to increase voter registration, vote-by-mail and absentee ballots.
“We don’t punish prayer. We don’t tear down crosses. We don’t ban symbols of faith. We don’t muzzle preachers and pastors,” Trump stated. “In America, we celebrate faith, we cherish religion, we lift our voices in prayer, and we raise our sights to the Glory of God.”
The coalition will highlight Trump’s White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, launched to strengthen civil society’s institutions and American families. President Joe Biden signed an executive order partially reversing the Trump-led initiative in 2021.
During his presidency, Trump became the first sitting president to address the Values Voter Summit and attended the National Prayer Breakfast annually.
Conservative radio host Eric Metaxas emphasized the historic importance of Christian voter turnout, referencing the 1930s rise of the Nazi Party in Germany.
“When Nazi evil rose in the 1930s, many German Christians believed it wasn’t their job to get involved. … But today many American Christians are falling for the same religious lies, unaware that God demands that we put our faith into action — including political action — and that we get involved any way we can to fight for what is right and good and true,” Metaxas said.
In contrast, Trump’s chief opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has launched segregated coalitions based on gender and sexual orientation, including the “black women,” “white women,” “white men” and “black queer men” groups.
Trump’s new coalition comes just two weeks after he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on July 13. Many individuals attribute the failed attempt to what has been described as divine intervention, as a bullet missed Trump’s head by centimeters, only grazing his right ear.
