Trump and Allies Rally Religious Support in Georgia
On Wednesday, Donald Trump and his allies leveraged religious rhetoric to galvanize supporters at rallies in Georgia, a pivotal swing state in the southeastern United States. Trump made a compelling case during an event organized by conservative activist Charlie Kirk and his far-right political education group, Turning Point USA. At this faith-based town hall, Trump framed the upcoming election in starkly moral and spiritual terms.
āDemocrats stand for everything God hates,ā Kirk declared emphatically, positioning the choice between Trump and his opponent Kamala Harris as āa spiritual battle.ā He passionately stated, āThis is a Christian state. I’d like to see it stay that way,ā as he addressed a crowd of approximately 10,000 Georgians, who at one point erupted into a chant of āChrist is King! Christ is King!ā
Kirk has become one of the most recognizable figures in conservative circles, intricately woven into Trumpās campaign strategy. He has been instrumental in organizing rallies within faith-centric venues and has embarked on a tour of college campuses in key swing states with his initiative, “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour,” aimed at encouraging young voters to support the Republican Party. Trump has particularly targeted younger male voters, often referred to as the ābro vote,ā reaching out to them via podcasts, social media, and influencers like Kirk.
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Earlier in the day, Trump made a direct appeal to conservative Christian voters at a faith-oriented town hall held in an Atlanta church. He asserted that Christian voters typically do not participate in elections at high rates. āWhen you have faith, when you believe in God, itās a big advantage over people that donāt have that,ā Trump told the enthusiastic crowd.
After what was promoted as a āBelievers and Ballotsā event, Trump stepped outside to address an overflow audience gathered in the church parking lot, where several hundred supporters chanted āUSA!ā in fervent enthusiasm. His campaign has initiated the āBelievers for Trumpā program, which has included outreach efforts through calls with prominent conservative faith leaders, aimed at mobilizing their congregations to cast their votes for Trump.
Early Voting Surges
Trump and his supporters have urged Georgians to vote using āwhichever method you prefer.ā This marks a significant shift from the narrative surrounding the 2020 election, where Trump attributed his loss to mail-in ballots and early voting. In that election cycle, he propagated unfounded conspiracy theories, encouraging his supporters to delay their votes until Election Day. However, this year, the Republican Party has actively promoted early voting, leading to a remarkable surge in participation. In Georgia alone, a record-breaking 1.9 million people have engaged in early votingāan important statistic given that Trump lost the state by a narrow margin of just 11,779 votes four years ago.
As Trump rallied his supporters in Georgia, Kamala Harris, who identifies as Baptist, participated in a CNN town hall in Philadelphia, where she characterized Trumpās approach as fascistic. Pennsylvania remains a critical battleground for both Trump and Harris as the election draws closer, with less than two weeks remaining until voters head to the polls.