Trump Promises Christians an End to Voting if Re-Elected

Trump Promises Christians an End to Voting if Re-Elected

 WEST PALM BEACH, FL —In the final moments of his address to a congregation of religious conservatives on Friday night, former President Donald Trump made a bold declaration: if Christians elect him in November, they would never need to vote again.

 "Christians, get out and vote. Just this time," he proclaimed at The Believers’ Summit, organized by conservative advocacy group Turning Point Action. "You won’t have to do it anymore. In four more years, it’ll be fixed, and it’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians."

 Despite his previously tepid public display of religious observance before entering politics, Trump continued, "I love you, Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you. You have to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not going to have to vote."

 Trump's remarks came after nearly an hour of appealing to religious conservatives, promising protection from perceived leftist threats. Earlier, he expressed frustration that conservative Christians do not vote in substantial numbers, a complaint he has often voiced.

 "They don’t vote like they should," Trump said of Christians. "They’re not big voters."

 Trump's suggestion that Christians would no longer need to vote if he was elected quickly spread on social media. Critics argued it implied that the 2024 election could be the nation's last if he wins, viewing it as evidence of his authoritarian and anti-democratic tendencies.

 Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, clarified the intent behind the statement: "President Trump was talking about uniting this country and bringing prosperity to every American, as opposed to the divisive political environment that has sown so much division and even resulted in an assassination attempt."

 The former president, who continues to assert falsely that the 2020 election was rigged—a claim that incited some supporters to storm the Capitol in 2021—has alarmed both Democrats and some Republicans. He has likened his political adversaries to "vermin," vowed to have a prosecutor investigate President Joe Biden and his family, and framed his campaign as one of retribution.

 James Singer, a spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, criticized Trump, citing the Capitol attack and accusing him of an "assault" on democracy.

 "After the last election Trump lost, he sent a mob to overturn the results," Singer stated. "This campaign, he has promised violence if he loses, the end of our elections if he wins, and the termination of the Constitution to empower him to be a dictator to enact his dangerous Project 2025 agenda on America."

 Since his 2020 defeat, Trump, who frequently praises authoritarian leaders, has embraced a form of conservatism that experts on autocracy say borders on totalitarianism.

 Further controversy erupted when, in an interview with Sean Hannity, Trump did not outright dismiss concerns that he might misuse presidential power, instead stating, "I would not be a dictator other than Day One. We’re closing the border. And we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator."

 

Trump and his allies have long dismissed such criticisms as alarmist rhetoric from liberals, arguing that Democrats have been the ones undermining democracy by weaponizing the justice system against him.

 The Harris campaign—and previously the Biden campaign—have consistently portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy. Recently, Democrats and their allies have emphasized Project 2025, a series of conservative policy proposals from a group that includes former Trump advisers, aiming to radically transform the federal government.

 While Trump himself was not directly behind Project 2025, he has attempted to distance himself from it. Nevertheless, reports from The New York Times outline his plans for a potential second term, including discarding the norm of Justice Department independence from the White House, appointing ideologically aligned lawyers more amenable to his policies, and executing an extensive crackdown on immigration, deporting millions annually.