Recently, a group called Vote Common Good released a list of more than 1,600 faith leaders who are endorsing Joe Biden for president.
“President Trump’s lack of kindness and decency is energizing faith communities and will cost him this election,” Pastor Doug Pagitt, Vote Common Good’s executive director, said in a press statement.
The endorsement was covered in the media as the latest sign that Biden may be able to cut into a key part of Trump’s base. As a Politico headline put it, “New signs point to Trump losing a sizeable chunk of his Christian voters, upending his path to reelection.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump retains the support of most faith-based voters because he has delivered on the issues they care about most.
According to the Pew Research Center, a record 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016. This puzzled some journalists and pundits, who wondered how a man who had once described himself as “very pro-choice” could win over a group of voters who prioritize the right to life above all other issues.
Trump’s first step in assuaging their doubts was to release two lists of potential nominees to the Supreme Court. These lists contained the names of judges who had been vetted by respected conservative legal groups and were known to be highly qualified, pro-life, constitutionalist judges. Then, Trump chose pro-life evangelical Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, further signaling that a Trump administration would be pro-life and conservative.
Since becoming president, Trump has issued executive orders preventing taxpayer funding of abortion overseas, preventing funds from going to Planned Parenthood, restricting funding for fetal-tissue research, and protecting the conscience rights of pro-life healthcare workers.
Trump has delivered on other issues dear to evangelicals. The Trump administration has prioritized America’s relationship with Israel, moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, ditching the flawed Iran nuclear deal, and, just recently, brokering peace agreements in the Middle East.
But what matters most to evangelicals are the pro-life constitutionalist judges that Trump has appointed to the Supreme Court and lower federal courts.
To understand why this is so important, first understand the historical context. For decades, Republican presidents have appointed Supreme Court justices who ended up voting with the liberal wing of the court, especially in cases dealing with abortion or religious freedom — Justices David Souter, Anthony Kennedy, and Sandra Day O’Connor come to mind.
While it’s too early to know for sure, with Amy Coney Barrett’s impending confirmation, it’s likely that Trump will have appointed three pro-life conservative justices, remaking the Supreme Court and thus potentially making America a much friendlier place for unborn children.
Trump has also appointed more than 200 lower court judges, all with lifetime appointments. These judges and justices will be Trump’s primary legacy for decades after he leaves office. And unlike some previous Republican leaders, Trump has not been afraid to speak up for the pro-life cause. To take just one example, his speech at January’s March for Life marked the first time that a president has addressed this annual march of hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates in person.
Meanwhile, Democrats have embraced positions on important issues that are anathema to most faith-based voters. To take one example, many Democrats now support withholding tax-exempt status from organizations that do not support same-sex marriage.
The Democrats’ opposition to any restrictions on abortion and hostility to religious freedom and their commitment to appointing judges who will advance those positions are a deal breaker for most Christians.
On the campaign trail, Biden has repeatedly pledged to nominate judges who would vote to protect abortion. Last June, Biden denounced the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funds from being used to pay for most abortions, reversing a decadeslong-held position. By doing so, Biden shed whatever was left of his “centrist” image on abortion, aligning himself with the far left of his party.
Pagitt may think Trump is unkind in his rhetoric or style. But where’s the kindness in slaughtering hundreds of thousands of unborn babies a year?
All of this explains why a Pew poll found this summer that Trump has improved his standing with white evangelical voters, with 82% saying they planned to vote for Trump.
Biden has adopted extreme positions on too many issues that are vitally important to religious voters. Meanwhile, Trump can legitimately argue that he has been the most pro-life president in history. Evangelical voters know this, and they will vote accordingly.
Gary Bauer is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is president of American Values and chairman of Campaign for Working Families. He ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000.
