'It’s doubtful' evangelicals will abandon Trump after 2020 election indictment: report

Former President Donald Trump was widely supported by evangelical Christians in 2016. However, his lost to President Joe Biden in 2020 was, in part, due to lack of support from those same voters.

During an interview with the conservative network Real America’s Voice in January, the MAGA 2024 hopeful "deeply criticized the evangelicals who have spoken out against him after he announced his 2024 presidential run," saying "That's a sign of disloyalty. There's great disloyalty in the world of politics, and that's a sign of disloyalty."

However, according to Religion News Service (RNS), "A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted" prior to the former president's recent indictment over his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election, "found that 56% of white evangelicals said they would most likely support" him in 2024.

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Furthermore, the poll revealed that "76% of white evangelicals said they do not think the president has committed any federal crimes."

Michael Wear, a former President Barack Obama campaign staffer who identifies as an evangelical Christian, told RNS that "The majority of white evangelicals have accepted this idea that Trump wants what they want — I'm not sure this indictment changes that."

Wear emphasized, "I don't think there is any clearer picture of what's going on in the right-wing political space. What used to be assertions of evangelical influence are now assertions of evangelical assimilation into a political movement."

Still, even with clear evangelical support, Wear argues the MAGA 2024 hopeful's recent indictments give his "Republican primary opponents an opening," referencing ex-Vice President Mike Pence's attempt to use the "indictments related to Jan. 6 as a way to undermine the 'presumption' that Trump is 'someone who just wins.'"

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However, RNS points out "Evangelical pastors are as likely to follow the lead of their dyed-in-the-wool Republican congregants rather than risk their displeasure as influence their votes from the pulpit."

Chief Operation Officer of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and a Trump faith advisor Rev. Tony Suarez, called the indictment "a distraction," suggesting "Democrats were attempting to 'disqualify Trump's run for the Republican nomination."

Dallas minister Rev. Robert Jeffress, who recently changed his mind from not supporting Trump's 2024 campaign to endorsing it, told the news outlet, "It's doubtful that the latest indictment of President Trump will have any meaningful impact on his overwhelming popularity with evangelical voters, given the fact that previous indictments have only increased his support among Republicans — and most evangelicals vote Republican. I predict evangelical voters will continue to support President Trump because of his strong pro-life, pro-religious liberty, and pro-Israel track record."

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Religion News Service's report is available at this link.