(OPINION) Former President Donald Trump called Christians the “most important people” just days ahead of the pivotal 2024 presidential election.
Trump, 78, made the comments at the National Faith Summit in Powder Springs outside Atlanta, where over 1,000 Christian leaders gathered to proclaim the vital role of faith in American politics.
Calling Christians “the most important people,” Trump voiced concerns about the political Left and others he says are trying to undermine their values.
“… They’re trying to hurt you; they’re trying to stymie you,” he asserted, urging attendees to mobilize voters within their communities.
He underscored the idea that religion is under “serious threat” in the U.S., adding, “We can’t let that happen because I really believe it’s, it’s sort of the fabric of our country. It’s a thing that holds our country together and we can’t lose it and we’re not gonna lose it. We’re not gonna lose it.”
Trump later added, “I think this is a country that needs religion. It’s like the glue that holds it together and we don’t have that. That’s why you are the most important people and I’m not sure you even realize it.
“President Trump, we recognize and believe, too, that God has saved you for a purpose and that there is a country to save,” she said. “And as you said, a world.”
In a moment reminiscent of the first Trump administration when Graham and other Christian leaders laid hands on and prayed over the then-sitting president, Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church led a prayer for Trump at the conclusion of the event, urging the audience to unite in support of the Republican nominee.
“We love you, Jesus, and we also love our country,” Graham prayed. “And we thank you that you have raised up a man, Donald J. Trump, to be a warrior for the Word of God.”
Trump’s attendance at the summit came just one day after he addressed a packed crowd of nearly 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, delivering a speech that lasted over an hour.
During the rally, Trump reiterated his claim that funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were misappropriated to support illegal immigrants — an allegation that FEMA has officially denied.
The event also featured comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose comments drew widespread condemnation. Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage,” prompting outrage from many attendees and observers alike.
