Democrats losing religious voters due to anti-Christian image: Trump's courtship of Catholics

The Catholic League President Bill Donohue stated that the Democratic Party is losing the religious vote due to its "anti-Christian" policies, while former President Donald Trump is trying to win over Catholics and other Christians.

"Donohue stated in a phone interview that Democrats are anti-Christian and driving people out, as former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard recently endorsed Trump. According to Donohue, the people he speaks to are not so much concerned about abortion, but rather feel like they don't speak their language anymore. They believe the idea of allowing men to compete against women in sports is an abuse of the bathrooms, and they think they've gone off the deep end."

Planet Chronicle Digital interviewed Donohue about the "Catholics for Trump" coalition, which aims to safeguard the freedom to practice one's faith in the United States.

"CatholicVote president Brian Burch stated in a Trump campaign press release that Kamala Harris hates Catholics and everything we hold sacred. Our institutions, families, culture, and belief in the sanctity of all human life are the antithesis of her vision for America. Donald Trump, JD Vance, and RFK are the antidote to the ruling class that has destroyed our country," said Brian Burch, president of conservative non-profit, CatholicVote.

On Sunday, Trump wished the Virgin Mary a happy birthday, which is recognized by the Catholic Church as the birthday of Jesus' mother, falling nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 each year.

President Biden, being Catholic, withdrew from the presidential race in July. Donohue stated that Biden's departure from the race may not significantly impact the Catholic vote, except possibly favoring Harris due to voters' unfamiliarity with her policies.

Donohue believes that if Biden drops out, it may slightly benefit Harris due to her lesser-known status. However, once people discover that her views align with Biden's on born alive protection laws, including the idea that doctors have no obligation to save a child born as a result of an abortion, the Democrats, for the most part, support this stance. This goes against the majority of Americans' opposition to this viewpoint.

In 2020, while serving as a California senator, Harris voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which aimed to penalize healthcare workers who failed to care for babies born alive after an abortion. Despite her support for overall abortion access, Harris made history with her future 2024 running mate by visiting a Minnesota Planned Parenthood earlier this year, marking the first time a sitting U.S. vice president has ever visited an abortion provider.

In 2016, Trump won the Catholic vote with 52% compared to Clinton's 45%, while in 2020, Biden received 52% of the Catholic vote and Trump received 47%.

Catholics who practice their faith and those who no longer do differ significantly in their voting habits, according to Donohue. He stated that religious Catholics and secular Catholics often have little in common, with the latter more likely to vote for Democrats. Similarly, religious Jews and cultural Jews, as well as evangelical protestants and mainline protestants, may also have distinct voting preferences.

The campaign also established the "Believers for Trump" coalition, which collaborates with diverse religious groups to counter the "anti-faith agenda" of the Biden-Harris administration, as stated on their website.

According to Karoline Leavitt, the Democrat Party and the Harris-Biden Administration have been at war with Christianity through their support for abortion up until birth, the Department of Justice targeting and imprisoning pro-life activists, and the FBI plotting to infiltrate Catholic masses to spy on attendees.

"President Trump will restore Christian conservative values of faith, family, and freedom, end the Harris-Biden Administration's discrimination against Christians, and stand up for religious freedom, as he did in his first term."

Donohue added that the Catholic vote historically supported Democrats until the 1960s.

In the early '70s, Catholics shifted from being Democrats to Republicans. This was due to the party's stance on abortion, which made Catholics feel homeless.

In the 1972 presidential election, George McGovern, a Democrat, ran against President Nixon and was labeled as the candidate who advocated for "amnesty, abortion, and acid" prior to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

In recent times, the GOP has emerged as the pro-life party, with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Trump has praised the decision and is now campaigning on a platform that advocates for state-level abortion laws.

Since Dobbs, the abortion issue has been a burden on Republicans. They have lost elections because some pro-life extremists in the party took an all-or-nothing approach, which is a risky strategy. It's essential to make exceptions, as everyone accepts. As time goes on, there is less tolerance for abortion, so it's crucial to address this issue. Trump was advised correctly to remove the abortion issue from his back by getting rid of Roe v. Wade, allowing states to decide what they want to do.

Trump's comments on the GOP's language on abortion and Florida's six-week abortion ban have sparked criticism from some pro-life conservatives. He has since stated that he will vote against a Florida amendment that would legalize abortion through the 9th month of pregnancy and has emphasized that abortion laws and issues should be left up to the states to decide.

Recently, anti-Catholic attacks have escalated, particularly after the Dobbs decision, when extremists targeted Catholic churches, and an anti-Catholic FBI memo was exposed, labeling traditional Catholics as potential "racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists." Despite an Inspector General review that cleared the FBI of wrongdoing earlier this year, the agency's actions have sparked controversy.

While commending Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan for his work investigating anti-Catholic bias in the federal government, Donohue stated that many Catholics feel alienated.

"Numerous individuals have shifted their allegiance to the Republicans. In fact, the group of friends I socialize with at my Irish Pub are all union members, retired, and lifelong Democrats. Despite their past affiliation with the Democratic Party, they are now voting for Trump because they believe the Democrats have neglected them."

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