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TOPLINE
As former Vice President Joe Biden sought to forge interfaith bridges at a fundraiser on Monday, pledging to treat Islam “with respect,” President Trump defended his previous statement that Biden is “against god” at a White House briefing, citing his policy concessions to Bernie Sanders.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 10: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the … [+]
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KEY FACTS
Trump said during a trip to Ohio on Thursday that Biden, a Catholic, is “against god,” adding, “No religion, no anything. Hurt the bible, hurt god.”
Biden’s campaign quickly shot back that, “Joe Biden’s faith is at the core of who he is,” taking aim at Trump for the infamous incident in June when federal forces cleared protesters with tear gas so Trump could pose for a photo at a church, and the Trump campaign’s photoshopping a picture of Joe Biden praying for an attack ad.
Asked about his remarks during a press briefing on Monday, Trump pointed to the unity platform put out by Biden’s joint policy task forces with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), which he has often railed against as too left-wing.
“If you look at the manifesto and if you look at their stance on religion… I don’t think a man of deep religion would be agreeing to the Bernie Sanders plan,” Trump asserted.
By contrast, Biden sought to bridge a religious divide at a fundraiser on Monday, declaring Muslim voters “key difference makers” in the 2020 election and calling Islam “one of the great confessional faiths,” adding “Let’s spread the faith a little bit.”
Biden repeated his pledge to roll back Trump’s travel ban on several Muslim majority countries, while also promising to “talk about Islam and Muslims in a different way” and “treat the religion with respect.”
Crucial Quote
Biden has made faith central to his campaign, often telling voters he wants to restore the “soul of America.” In an op-ed for Religion News Services in December, Biden wrote “my faith teaches me that we should be a nation that once again welcomes the stranger and shows a preferential option for the poor,” adding that Trump “doesn’t understand these things, because he… doesn’t know what it means to live for or believe in something bigger than himself.”
Big Number
While Trump sees himself as the clear religious alternative to Biden, the American public doesn’t seem to share his view. A Pew Research poll in March found that just 35% of voters view Trump as very or somewhat religious, while 63% said he is not too or not at all religious. Biden, by contrast, was viewed as religious by 55% of U.S. adults and not religious by just 39% in a Pew Research poll in February.
What To Watch For
Some Biden backers have launched an effort to win over conscientious evangelical voters. A group called Vote Common Good has forged a partnership with the Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump Republicans backing Biden and Democratic Senate candidates, to persuade white Catholics and Evangelicals in six critical battleground to support Biden.
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