On election night in 2024, Fox News’ Sandra Smith reported that Donald Trump was 24 points ahead of Kamala Harris in Michigan’s Catholic vote, which could have been the reason for Trump’s victory. The other conservative news anchors joked and laughed and claimed that Kamala should not have missed the Al Smith Dinner, a Roman Catholic charity event historically attended by presidential candidates from both parties. The Fox News panel highlighted the fact that Kamala Harris did not attend the benefit, but Donald Trump did, and that may have ultimately helped Trump win the election.
Kamala Harris’s snub of the Al Smith Dinner was seen by Catholics as a sign of disrespect to the Catholic Church. Donald Trump, on the other hand, capitalized on her absence, saying that he wouldn’t have missed the charitable dinner for the world. [1]
The Sacramento Bee published the following about the Catholic vote, Donald Trump, and the 2024 Presidential Election:
• “As ballots were counted late into the evening on Tuesday, Nov. 5, U.S. Catholics — a group experts see as ‘sharply divided by party’ — broke for former President Donald Trump by a historically large margin nationwide, exit polls revealed. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. Catholics favored Trump, compared to 40% who supported Vice President Kamala Harris, according to exit polls from NBC News, The Washington Post and CNN. The 18-point margin represents the largest voting gap among the group in decades.” [2]
If Catholic voters helped Donald Trump recapture the White House, it would be in part due to Trump’s efforts to win over Catholic voters. Trump has specifically targeted Catholics in the 2024 election by paying lip service to Catholic traditions.
Wishing everyone a Blessed and Happy All Saints’ Day! pic.twitter.com/5VlPkCJ7M5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2024
On his social media account, for instance, Donald Trump wished everyone a “Happy and Blessed All Saints Day,” a Roman Catholic holiday that honors and pays tribute to all the saints who have ascended to heaven. On this day, Catholics pray for the intercession of the saints, attend a Eucharistic Mass, and reflect on the so-called Catholic path to holiness.
Donald Trump also offered a happy birthday to the Virgin Mary on the Catholic Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a devotion practiced by Catholics, not Protestants. And recently, during his second political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump played the song Ave Maria, Latin for Hail Mary, a song deeply rooted in Catholic tradition that honors Mary’s unique role in salvation and asks for her heavenly intercession. [3]
What other Catholic traditions will be perused in order to connect more with policies that resonate with Catholic voters—Sunday rest by law?
When political leaders focus on running the government and creating policies that help their constituents rather than entangling themselves with the churches, there will be a healthy balance between church and state. However, if our politicians begin prioritizing the doctrines of the churches ahead of public policies, they run the risk of undermining both our systems of government and the safeguards of religious liberty. We were warned that “political corruption” will lead to the union of church and state and bring about the Sunday law crisis.
“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
Sources
[2] https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/election/article295156154.html
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