New ‘Evangelicals for Harris’ ad highlights Trump’s quote saying he doesn’t ask God for forgiveness
Evangelicals for Harris has released a new ad targeting Christians in swing states.
The organization, made up of Evangelical Christians who are mobilizing support for Vice President Kamala Harris this November, released the ad on Wednesday morning.
The ad features a clip of an interview between GOP pollster Frank Luntz and Donald Trump during the Family Leadership Summit in 2015. There, Luntz asked Trump if he had ever sought God’s forgiveness. Trump called it a tough question, telling Luntz, “I’m not sure I have.”
The ad then cuts to a screen of text: “Is there any greater denial of Christ than to say, ‘I do not need his forgiveness?’”
Evangelicals for Harris called for Christians to be “swing voters” in a recent post on X.
“We aren’t giving up on anyone and welcome all into a necessary conversation,” the organization wrote.
The ad comes the same day as an Evangelicals for Harris Zoom call, set for Wednesday night.
The organization’s website highlights Harris’ background as a Baptist and her “great respect for other faith traditions,” calling her a “deeply committed and faithful Christian.”
“Especially now that she is at the pinnacle of power, Vice President Harris keeps her trusting relationship with God at the center,” the organization’s website reads.
Christians for Kamala, run by The New York Times columnist David French, has made a similar case to elect Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.
The organization’s goal is to bring together moderate and progressive Christians “who feel like the conversation on spirituality has been hijacked by the Christian right,” organizer John Pavlovitz told NPR.
In 2020, 85 percent of white evangelical protestant voters who attended church regularly voted for Trump, according to the Pew Research Center. Trump also garnered more support among white evangelical protestants from 2016, when he earned only 77% of their vote while running against Hillary Clinton.
Biden, meanwhile, had high support from white Catholics, Black protestants and those who are not religious, the Pew Research Center reports.
This isn’t the first time Trump, who has compared himself to Jesus Christ on multiple occassions, has been accused of religious hypocrisy.
In June 2020, during the Black Lives Matter protests, Trump and several staffers walked to Washington, DC’s St John’s Church — which was vandalized — after riot police cleared largely peaceful demonstrators in nearby Lafayette Square using tear gas.
There, Trump stood silently and was photographed holding up a Bible, which some speculated was upside down. Several opponents — including President Joe Biden — accused him of using the book as a prop. Asked by a reporter whether it was his Bible, he replied that it was “a Bible.”
Then, earlier this year, Trump began selling the “God Bless the USA” Bible for $60.
““Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless The USA Bible.”
The Independent has contacted Trump’s campaign for comment.
