Trump to meet conservative Christians in NY ‘conversation’

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump instructed evangelical leaders on Tuesday to disobey the biblical command to pray for all political leaders because that would be politically correct. “He acknowledged that. But what he was trying to say was, after that he said don’t let political correctness stop you from realizing I gotta pray for everybody [but] you gotta pray for this campaign, you have got to pray for new leadership in this country”.

“Mr. Trump is a bold and fearless leader who will take the fight to our enemies and to the radical Islamic terrorists, whether they attack in San Bernardino, Orlando, or Paris”, Falwell, scion of a late leader of the religious right, said to applause. “Through life, through having incredible children, through so many other things”.

In remarks early in the event, Trump hit everything from his suspicions of Hillary Clinton’s religious past to the war on Christmas to the role of prayer, according to tweeted video from E.W. Jackson, an African American Christian radio host and the founder of Exodus Faith Ministries.

“She’s been in the public eye for years and years and yet there’s nothing out there”, Trump said of Clinton.

Trump further told the evangelicals that it is good to pray for everyone but not for the leaders who are “selling the evangelicals down the tubes”.

The real estate mogul made the comments while addressing a closed-door gathering of top social conservative evangelical Christian leaders in New York City on Tuesday. Still, throughout the primaries it seemed the bulk of Christian voters had no problems at all pulling the lever for Donald Trump. I don’t disagree with that and I never interpreted anything he said as don’t pray for everybody, just pray for me.

Perhaps most worrying for Trump and the GOP are surveys showing that his support among white evangelical Christians – the key to Republican electoral success in November – is not almost as strong as it needs to be.

“For me, there are two ultimate issues in this election: religious freedom and the federal courts”, Shackelford said following the meeting.

“I’m so on your side, I’m a tremendous believer, and we’re gonna straighten it out”, Trump says in another clip posted by Jackson. “I think that’s a pretty bold statement”, said Jackson in his call. After the meeting, The Hill reports Trump will hold a Q&A session with hundreds of other Christian conservatives, who will also lay out their policy views for him.