New Super PAC Begs Christians Not To Vote For Trump
President Donald Trump. Creative Commons photo.
A new super PAC armed with advisors from both sides of the aisle is dropping six-figure TV and digital ads on swing states, hoping to peel off Christian support for President Donald Trump just weeks ahead of the election and while many Americans are casting their vote early.
Not Our Faith’s leaders include Michael Wear, a former faith advisor in the Obama administration including Obama’s reelection campaign, Autumn Vandehei, a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and Jerushah Duford, the granddaughter of the late Billy Graham, one of the most influential evangelicals in forming the so-called moral majority that’s still critical to the Republican base.
During a press call on Oct. 15, Duford and Wear argued that Trump has changed what Americans think about Christianity and invaded the life of the church by sowing division, and that’s why he needs to go.
“Personally, my president doesn’t even have to share my faith,” Duford said. “However, his attempts to hijack our faith for votes and the evangelical leaders’ silence on his actions and behavior has presented a picture of what our faith looks like that’s so erroneous it’s done significant damage to the way people view Jesus.”
Duford also emphasized that evangelicals are “not all wealthy white people… that’s not what the kingdom of God looks like.”
Wear said the Trump administration has harmed refugees and migrants and that Christians should be motivated to vote against Trump because of his administration’s child family separation policy that was implemented in detention centers for migrants who illegally crossed into the U.S. as well as asylum seekers in an attempt to deter illegal immigration. Wear didn’t address religious freedom or abortion, two hot button issues many evangelicals and Catholics point to as policy reasons to endorse Trump. He did allude to the culture wars, but dismissively.
“It’s really important to understand there are policy disagreements,” Wear said. “The way that Trump has affected the life of the church. The way he is sort of globbing onto Christianity with these ridiculous and insulting comments that he’s brought Christmas back and saved the church.”
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Duford said those involved with Not Our Faith aren’t looking for a savior in a president, because they already have one, alluding to Jesus Christ. The ads echo this message.
One ad says Christians “don’t need Trump to save them. The truth is that Trump needs Christians to save his flailing campaign.” The ad also says Trump “has used Christianity for its own purposes,” showing Trump’s photo op holding a Bible in front of a historic Episcopal church near the White House. Federal agents cleared a protest aimed at racial justice that included Episcopal clergy for the photo op.
Not Our Faith is one of many faith outreach initiatives urging Christians to vote blue or vote out Trump. Another effort that’s more explicit about getting Christians to vote for Joe Biden, not just against Trump, is New Moral Majority, which urges voters to “choose love over fear” and “fight” for “the common good” by in part signing a pledge to vote for Biden-Harris and sharing it on social media.
The political divide between Graham’s granddaughters would likely resonate with many Americans stuck inside with their families during the pandemic in an election year.
Cissie Graham Lynch, also a granddaughter of Billy Graham and the daughter of Franklin Graham, who heads the evangelical relief organization Samaritan’s Purse and has supported Trump since 2016, spoke at the Republican National Convention, calling Trump “a fierce advocate” for people of faith.
“Politics involves itself in many families and mine especially,” Duford said.
Meagan Clark is the managing editor of Religion Unplugged. Follow her on Twitter @MeaganKay.