Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee has appointed 34 prominent Roman Catholics as advisors to his campaign. Polls show that 57% of church going Catholics would vote for Hillary Clinton, while only 38% would lean toward Trump. Obviously, Trump wants to influence Catholics to vote for him. In order to achieve that, he is willing to be advised and guided by Roman Catholics in the process. Catholic influence on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign will certainly increase.
The list of 34 includes Senator Rick Santorum, (R) who ran for president in 2012 and 2016 and who endorsed Trump when Marco Rubio left the race.
Another on the list is Joseph Cella, founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, and who will apparently be the chief liaison to the Trump campaign for Catholic affairs. Notably, Cella signed a letter called “An Appeal to Our Fellow Catholics” that denounced Trump as unfit to be president of the United States during the primaries. Now he supports him.
The list also includes Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and the Ave Maria University; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, and Trumps pick to run his Pro-Life coalition; Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback; Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union; former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R); U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, (R-Ohio); Jim Nicholson, former Republican national chairman, secretary of veterans affairs and ambassador to the Vatican; and longtime conservative leader Richard Viguerie.
Matt Schlapp said, “What I am seeing in my community with my friends, in my church, is that more and more practicing Catholics, conservatives, Republicans, independents are waking up to the fact that he’s the right choice to make for president.”
Irish Catholic Steve Bannon, on leave from Breitbart.com is overseeing Trumps entire campaign, while Kellyanne Conway, a longtime Catholic manages operations.
Many Catholic leaders continue to debate whether Catholics can, in good conscience vote for Donald Trump, following the voting guidelines laid out by the United States Bishops. Trump is doing all he can to win them.
If he should take the office of POTUS, those Catholics will have substantial influence on the direction of the nation, as will the large body of evangelicals who support Trump. In the mean time, however, Trump needs their support.
Trump promised to continue communication with these Catholic advisors from his desk at the White House, if he is elected in November.
Speaking at a values voters convention on September 09, Trump said, “[In] a Trump administration, our Christian heritage will be cherished, protected, defended, like you’ve never seen before.”
Donald Trump wonders after… See Revelation 13:3.