{"id":2324566,"date":"2024-08-14T16:57:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T20:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/evangelicals-for-harris-ad-campaign-hits-trump-on-his-faith-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-14T17:02:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T21:02:34","slug":"evangelicals-for-harris-ad-campaign-hits-trump-on-his-faith-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/evangelicals-for-harris-ad-campaign-hits-trump-on-his-faith-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Evangelicals for Harris\u2019 ad campaign hits Trump on his faith &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fevangelicals-for-harris-ad-campaign-hits-trump-on-his-faith-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2324566&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a new advertising campaign launched by &#8220;Evangelicals for Harris,&#8221; a group supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, aimed\u200b at appealing to Christian\u200c voters who may \u2063be hesitant about former President Donald \u200cTrump&#8217;s candidacy. The campaign features a media spot that highlights past comments made by Trump regarding his Christian faith and his reluctance to seek\u2063 forgiveness for his sins. <\/p>\n<p>In the ad, clips include the Rev. Billy Graham discussing the importance of seeking forgiveness, contrasting Trump&#8217;s statements from a\u200d 2015 interview where he expressed uncertainty about ever having asked for forgiveness. The campaign poses\u2062 a rhetorical question about the denial of Christ, suggesting that Trump&#8217;s comments undermine \u2062fundamental Christian beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>This initiative \u2064targets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media<\/a> and conservative Christian media, focusing on swing states to reach potential swing voters. The organization claims \u200bto have gathered over 200,000 evangelical Christians who pledge to support the Harris-Walz ticket. The group aims to create a platform for moderate and progressive Christians to counter the dominance of the Christian right narrative within political discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, Trump has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tim-scott-counts-on-south-carolina-popularity-as-he-seeks-second-look-nationally\/\" title=\"Tim Scott relies on his South Carolina popularity while aiming for national recognition once again.\">garnered significant support<\/a> from\u2064 evangelical voters, solidifying his\u200b base\u200b during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. However, this \u2063new campaign seeks to challenge that allegiance by\u200b offering a contrasting viewpoint \u200bcentered around faith and inclusivity. The article also mentions previous controversies surrounding Trump and his relationship with the evangelical community, particularly regarding his\u2062 self-comparisons to Christ.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Evangelicals for Harris ad campaign uses Trump&rsquo;s comments on faith against him<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730518\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>A group of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Vice President Kamala Harris\">Vice President Kamala Harris<\/a>&rsquo;s supporters released their first media spot on Wednesday in an effort to win over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/christians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Christian\">Christian<\/a> voters who are lukewarm on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"former President Donald Trump\">former President Donald Trump<\/a>&rsquo;s campaign.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.evangelicalsforharris.com\/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwq_G1BhCSARIsACc7NxqzDmD_Kc9HgZL8SKgQzorp9LXdSlU8LtvMz3wfjMQeCT6Rn2iTNQUaAni3EALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Evangelicals for Harris<\/a>, a 501(c)(4) organization associated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.faithvoters.com\/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwq_G1BhCSARIsACc7NxrisP1TB7UfkzPVr3_Frz9ydQzo-gqttjVn2IbAZcDqSMqc1sgpIWYaAsIjEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Faith Voters\">Faith Voters<\/a>, released a new ad that featured remarks from an interview between GOP pollster Frank Luntz and Trump before he was a candidate in the presidential race in 2015 at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa. During that conversation, Trump talked about his Christian faith but said he never sought forgiveness for his sins, in response to a question from Luntz.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Great summary by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DBrodyReports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DBrodyReports<\/a> of our new ad and campaign! <\/p>\n<p>Christians should be swing voters in America, and our choice is clear in this election. <\/p>\n<p>We aren&#8217;t giving up on anyone and welcome all into a necessary conversation. <\/p>\n<p>Join our members this evening in kicking off our&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TaXYZeN1j8\">https:\/\/t.co\/TaXYZeN1j8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Evangelicals For Harris (@Evangels4Harris) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Evangels4Harris\/status\/1823677167496015883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The ad begins with a video clip of the Rev. Billy Graham preaching about the act of asking for forgiveness and then cuts to a clip of the interview from 2015, in which Trump said he is unsure he&rsquo;s ever asked for forgiveness, telling Luntz, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure I have. &hellip; I don&rsquo;t bring God into that picture. I don&rsquo;t.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The spot then shows text on the screen: &ldquo;Is there any greater denial of Christ than to say, &lsquo;I do not need his forgiveness?&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The ad will begin on social media and then will be featured on TV in swing states and will be targeting conservative Christian media websites, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.cbn.com\/news\/politics\/evangelicals-harris-targets-conservative-christians-new-media-spot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reporting<\/a> from the <em>Christian Broadcasting Network. <\/em>The new ad drop comes on the same day the group will be hosting a Zoom call featuring activist Ekemini Uwan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.evangelicalsforharris.com\/kamala-harris-faith-story\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>describes<\/a> Harris&rsquo;s faith journey on their website, describing her as a &ldquo;deeply committed and faithful Christian.&rdquo; The website also emphasizes the Democratic nominee for president has &ldquo;great respect&rdquo; for other faith traditions, mentioning her Indian relatives and her embracing Jewish traditions with her husband, Doug Emhoff. The organization said it already has over 200,000 evangelical Christians who have signed a pledge to volunteer and vote for the Harris-Walz ticket.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8203;&ldquo;Especially now that she is at the pinnacle of power, Vice President Harris keeps her trusting relationship with God at the center,&rdquo; the website said. John Pavlovitz, an organizer for the group, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/08\/12\/nx-s1-5064343\/a-pro-kamala-group-shows-not-all-christian-voters-are-conservative-white-evangelicals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told<\/a> NPR the organization is aiming to bring together moderate and progressive Christians.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The conversation on spirituality has been hijacked by the Christian right,&rdquo; Pavlovitz said in an interview with NPR. &ldquo;I think, in some ways, the Democratic Party has often ceded the conversation on spirituality to the Republican Party, and we just want to offer a dissenting opinion.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has had a grip on this critical group of voters who have become some of his most reliable supporters since the 2016 general election. According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2021\/08\/30\/most-white-americans-who-regularly-attend-worship-services-voted-for-trump-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Pew Research Center<\/a>, 85% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-working-class-gop-a-muddled-concept\/\" title=\"The Working-Class GOP: A Muddled Concept\">white evangelical voters<\/a> who attended church regularly voted for Trump in 2020, expanding his margins from when he received 77% of support from the critical group when he ran against Hillary Clinton.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In the Republican primary, even though voters in early primaries had several conservative Christian candidates running, Trump still dominated among this critical group of voters. &nbsp;In the Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Republican primary contests earlier this year, Trump won between 55% and 69% of white evangelical voters, according to AP VoteCast.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; President Donald Trump holds a Bible as he visits outside St. John&rsquo;s Church, June 1, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s campaign events at times can resemble a worship service. Earlier this year, the former president shared a &ldquo;God Made Trump&rdquo; video that depicted him as a messianic figure. After avoiding an attempted assassination, Trump has been quick to credit divine assistance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3120891\/where-abortion-ballot-measures-stand-in-different-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHERE ABORTION BALLOT MEASURES STAND IN DIFFERENT STATES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>However, the former president has faced controversy in some religious circles after comparing himself to Jesus Christ on multiple occasions. During the June 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Trump made an appearance at Washington, D.C.&rsquo;s St John&rsquo;s Church, which had been vandalized. He was photographed holding up a Bible, which some accused him of using as a prop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hats reading &ldquo;God, Guns and Trump&rdquo; and &ldquo;Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president&rdquo; are sold at a campaign rally for former president Donald Trump in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP Photo\/Jessie Wardarski)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The former president was scrutinized after selling a patriotic copy of the Bible for $60 earlier this year. After making the announcement of the new merchandise on social media, criticism began to flow in calling the move &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MsSuzieQ3\/status\/1772793813901119495\">sacrilege<\/a>,&rdquo; &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HPD_307\/status\/1773002306998440044\">heresy<\/a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/StanRMitchell\/status\/1773001023893721214\">borderline offensive<\/a>.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed Harris, the conservative<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ffcoalition.com\/about\/\"> Faith and Freedom Coalition<\/a> aimed to inform voters of what they called the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/carson-points-out-that-every-democratic-plan-has-backfired-in-trumps-favor-as-seen-in-the-bible-2\/\" title=\"Carson points out that every Democratic plan has backfired in Trump&#039;s favor, as seen in the Bible\">vice president&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s &ldquo;disastrous record.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By the time ballots are cast in November, Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition will ensure every voter of faith is familiar with Harris&rsquo; failure to secure our border and protect America&rsquo;s most vulnerable and voiceless,&rdquo; the group said in a statement recently.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Harris has consistently rejected widely popular protections for unborn babies and endorsed abortion through all nine months of pregnancy &mdash; even proudly campaigning at an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/11-pro-life-activists-indicted-by-biden-doj-for-peacefully-protesting-outside-abortion-clinic\/\" title=\"11 Pro-Life Activists Indicted by Biden DOJ for Peacefully Protesting Outside Abortion Clinic\">abortion clinic earlier<\/a> this summer,&rdquo; the group added.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730518\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730518\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Evangelicals for Harris Launches Ad Campaign Targeting Trump\u2019s Faith Comments<\/p>\n<p>A group supporting Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled their inaugural advertisement on Wednesday, aiming to attract Christian voters who are uncertain about former President Donald Trump\u2019s campaign. The organization, Evangelicals for Harris, which is linked to Faith Voters and operates as a 501(c)(4), released an ad featuring excerpts from a 2015 interview between GOP pollster Frank Luntz and Trump prior to his presidential candidacy at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa. In this interview, Trump discussed his Christian faith but admitted he had never sought forgiveness for his sins when prompted by Luntz.<\/p>\n<p>The ad opens with a clip of Rev. Billy Graham discussing the importance of asking for forgiveness before transitioning to Trump&#8217;s comments where he expressed uncertainty about ever having asked for forgiveness, stating, \u201cI\u2019m not sure I have&#8230; I don\u2019t bring God into that picture.\u201d The advertisement poses the question on-screen: \u201cIs there any greater denial of Christ than to say, \u2018I do not need his forgiveness?\u2019\u201d It will initially be shared on social media before airing on television in key swing states and targeting conservative Christian media outlets.<\/p>\n<p>This release coincides with a Zoom call hosted by the group featuring activist Ekemini Uwan. Their website portrays Harris as a &#8220;deeply committed and faithful Christian&#8221; who respects various faith traditions while highlighting her Indian heritage and her Jewish connections through her husband Doug Emhoff. The organization claims over 200,000 evangelical Christians have pledged to support the Harris-Walz ticket.<\/p>\n<p>John Pavlovitz, an organizer with the group, stated that they aim to unite moderate and progressive Christians. He noted that discussions around spirituality have been dominated by the Christian right and expressed a desire to present an alternative viewpoint within these conversations.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has maintained strong support among evangelical voters since 2016; according to Pew Research Center data from 2020, approximately 85% of white evangelical voters who regularly attend church backed him\u2014an increase from 77% during his campaign against Hillary Clinton. Even amidst several conservative candidates in early primaries this year, Trump secured between 55% and 69% of white evangelical votes in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina contests.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Trump&#8217;s popularity among evangelicals at campaign events resembling worship services\u2014such as sharing videos portraying him as messianic\u2014he has faced backlash within some religious circles due to comparisons he made between himself and Jesus Christ. His controversial actions include holding up a Bible outside St. John\u2019s Church during protests in June 2020\u2014a move criticized by many as insincere\u2014and selling patriotic Bibles earlier this year which drew accusations of sacrilege.<\/p>\n<p>Following President Joe Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from the race in favor of Harris&#8217;s candidacy, conservative groups like Faith &amp; Freedom Coalition are working diligently to inform voters about what they describe as her &#8220;disastrous record,&#8221; particularly regarding issues like border security and abortion rights<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2324567,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/trump-religion-ad.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34575,27724,5250,5894,3634],"class_list":["post-2324566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-ad-campaign","tag-evangelicals","tag-faith","tag-politics","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/trump-religion-ad.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2324566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2324566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2324566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2324566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}