Despite being accused of trying to buy the silence of an X-movie actress with whom he allegedly had an extramarital affair and convicted in a civil court of sexual assault, Donald Trump remains the big favorite of American evangelicals.
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The 45th President of the United States, who is seeking re-election in 2024, has nevertheless been piling up legal and ethical scandals for years, ranging from allegations of abuse of power to suspected electoral interference.
But the 77-year-old businessman remains the undisputed idol of the religious right, as evidenced by his fanfare reception on Saturday at the Road to Majority conference in the federal capital, organized by the evangelical and conservative Faith and Faith movement became freedom”.
“Together we are warriors in a just crusade to stop arsonists, atheists, globalists and Marxists,” Trump said in his characteristic apocalyptic language during his closing speech to thunderous applause.
“We will restore our republic as a nation under God’s guidance,” he added.
However, white evangelical voters were slow to unite behind Trump’s candidacy during his 2016 presidential campaign. But once they’re convinced, nothing seems to change their minds.
He owes his success to his qualities as a “leader,” according to Suzzanne Monk, a 50-year-old conservative activist.
“Many of the politicians we’ve known for decades … have been content with the bare minimum to be re-elected. Donald Trump (…) tried to remedy the situation,” she told AFP.
“cult of personality”
Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Conservative Christian, nonetheless seemed the ideal candidate for the Evangelicals.
But he was booed during the 2021 Road to Majority rally for not refusing to confirm Joe Biden’s election, as requested by Donald Trump, and received only muted applause that year.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was booed by the crowd on Friday as he accused the ex-president of treason against the country.
However, Donald Trump has also at times angered some leaders on the Christian right by claiming that anti-abortion activists were to blame for the Republicans’ poor results in the last midterm elections.
Despite everything, the twice-divorced man is the star of the evangelical rally, which is being organized exactly one year to the day after the Supreme Court repealed abortion rights.
“I have responsibility for you and I believe that ‘you’ are over 200 million people who love our country,” he told the crowd, saying “that’s a great show of courage.”
Ralph Reed, the founder of the “Faith and Liberty” movement, opened the conference and denied any “cult of personality” surrounding Trump among evangelicals.
“There is only one person we worship and that is Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Only One Candidate”
Officials present at the conference also welcomed Donald Trump’s record rather than his personality.
According to them, the former president fights for his supporters like no other and was the president who most respected his campaign promises, notably by bringing three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, who later returned. on the constitutional guarantee of abortion.
“The question isn’t knowing: (…) ‘Are we the same?’ “It’s about knowing: who is going to put my values into action”, explains Suzzanne Monk. “That’s why all these people love Donald Trump.”
Enzo Alcindor, head of a Florida real estate agency, says he opposes Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis’ candidacy.
“He has no place in this race,” says the 50-year-old from Haiti.
“The others (candidates) don’t have the stature (…) there’s only one and only one candidate for me. And it’s President Donald Trump,” he said.