amna: This weekend, former
president Donald Trump held his
first campaign rallies since
announcing he was running for
office again.
Mr. Trump visited New Hampshire
and South Carolina, trying to
shore up support as he waits to
see if any other Republicans
will stand up to challenge him.
William brangham reports on how
the former president is doing
among one key Republican
constituency.
William: Amna, when Donald Trump
first ran for president, to the
surprise of many, much of the
Christian evangelical community
supported him.
And after his first term, when
he delivered on several key
issues for that community most
, notably putting three
conservatives on the supreme
court, the former president is
once again counting on their
support this time.
But will he get it?
To help answer that, I'm joined
by Ralph reed, a longtime
evangelical political activist
and leader.
He's president of the faith and
freedom coalition.
Good to have you on the
newshour.
How is former president trump
doing amongst the evangelical
community today?
Ralph: I think there is a very
deep reservoir of affection and
appreciation for president trump
in the faith community.
You mentioned the conservative
supreme court justices.
We achieved a half-century
aspiration in the overturning of
roe V. Wade.
We have an opportunity, it's not
going to be without fraught
political storm and drying, but
we have an opportunity to
protect innocent lives in the
U.S. Again for the first time in
50 years at the state level.
He was also the most pro-Israel
president in American history,
moving the embassy from tel aviv
to Jerusalem.
There's a great deal of
affection for this president.
I'm not really in the prediction
business but to the surprise of
almost everyone, he won a
plurality of this vote in 2016
and I would expect him to do
well again.
But as in 2016, this will be a
very competitive primary.
There will be other candidates,
whether it is Mike Pompeo or
Mike pence or Nikki Haley, if
Ron Desantis were to get in --
many others, and they understand
what Donald Trump understands,
which is that there is no path
to this nomination without
winning a hefty and healthy
plurality of this vote.
No one should assume it is
spoken for and no one should
assume their appeal is
foreclosed.
William: What you think he isn't
the shoo-in for the candidacy?
He's the only one who asked
Claire he is running, and I get
it that he was a long shot
initially and seems like an ill
fit but he's delivered in all
the ways you described good why
isn't he the de facto nominee
amongst evangelicals?
Ralph: I think we are in
uncharted territory.
This is the first time a former
president has sought his party's
nomination for president after
leaving the white house since
teddy Roosevelt did it in 1912.
It's the first time a former
president was a nominal front
runner with a very real chance
of winning that nomination since
grover Cleveland in 1892.
This is not without precedent in
American history but highly
unusual for a former president
to reenter the arena and seek
that nomination.
I view this as a positive thing,
not a negative commentary on the
president.
There is great affection for
president trump but there is
such an embarrassment of riches.
In part because of him, there is
such a deep bench.
Three of the most compelling
candidates served in his
cabinet.
This is not a bad thing.
There is nothing wrong with a
healthy primary.
From our standpoint, we think
the more candidates that go
after these voters, the better
off we will be as long as we can
unify when it is over.
William: Certainly that's the
essence of the democratic
process.
What do you make of the argument
I've heard some in the
evangelical community make,
which is yes, the four president
delivered for us in many ways,
but he is also, comes with a
good deal of baggage.
Swirling investigations, the
left certainly voted him out the
last time, he is still focused
on the past election and his
lies about what happened there.
Do you think that is a real
sentiment in the evangelical
community?
Ralph: I think the sentiment is
there and that argument will be
made, and I think the president
and his supporters will be able
to make their argument, which is
-- Lindsey graham said this
weekend introducing him in south
Carolina, if you think you will
be able to get trump policies
without the person of trump, you
misunderstand the strength and
fortitude that was behind those
policies.
I certainly witnessed that.
Firsthand, as a member of the
faith advisory group when the
president was in the white
house.
There was a toughness there.
I won't say I have not seen it
in other candidates but it was
unusual.
That's what this debate will be
about and that's what primaries
are for.
Again, I think this will be a
very healthy process and the
president is going to get a
chance to make his case.
I can assure you, he will get a
very fair hearing from voters of
faith.
But they will also want to kick
the tires and look at some other
people.
We really view our role in this
is a matchmaker, not a
kingmaker.
We want to make sure all of the
voters get a chance to meet all
of the candidates and they all
get to make their best case.
We think everybody wins if that
is what happens.
William: Lastly, what about
former vice president Mike
pence?
He seems most clearly aligned
with the evangelical community
and its values and intentions
and desires.
Why do you think he is not more
a leading candidate?
Ralph: Well, I would not
discount him at all.
I think he is somebody who
aligns very well the values, the
beliefs and the burdens on the
hearts of millions of people of
faith in this country.
I had the great privilege of
working with him very closely
when he was vice president.
He is a good friend.
I don't know of anybody in my
career, frankly, who has done a
better job of connecting and
articulating the ideals and
values of this constituency than
Mike pence, I don't count him
out.
I think he is a sleeper in this
William: Ralph reed, thank you
very much.
Ralph: Thank you.