(Republican Convention) Evangelicals rally around Trump, again

President Donald Trump’s ties to the Evangelical community have always been somewhat nebulous. A thrice-married New Yorker with no previous record as a church-goer who once declared himself “very pro-choice,” he wasn’t the first choice for many in 2016 and worked hard to convince conservative Christians he was on their side — including by selecting Mike Pence as his running mate, CNN reports.

Perhaps because his personality didn’t seem to jive with any definition of Christian morality, Trump’s attempts to woo evangelicals have often seemed outsized. He was the first President to address the anti-abortion March for Life in Washington; he has posed for photographs with pastors laying their hands on him to pray; and he has acknowledged that his decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem appeals specifically to Christians.

There have been missteps, including Trump’s photo-op outside a church across from the White House during protests. His awkward handling of a Bible was decried by many religious leaders as craven. At various points during his presidency, Trump has expressed concern to aides that support among Evangelicals might be slipping.

But while his support may have slid somewhat, a large majority of White evangelicals still support him — and their voices were prominent on Tuesday. 

Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of famous evangelist Billy Graham, said Trump was "giving hope to people of faith around the world.”

And Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood worker who now opposes abortion, called Trump “the most pro-life President we’ve ever had.” 

Unmentioned in all of it was the current scandal rocking evangelical circles: the dramatic downfall of Jerry Falwell Jr., who resigned as president of Liberty University on Tuesday after reports he and his wife took part in a sexual relationship with a former hotel pool attendant.