WASHINGTON: Despite being accused of having tried to buy the silence of an X-movie actress with whom he would have an affair and be convicted in a civil court for sexual assault, Donald Trump remains America’s evangelical favourite.

The 45th president of the United States, who is hoping to be re-elected in 2024, has accumulated years of legal and ethical scandals, ranging from accusations of abuse of power to suspicions of election meddling.

But the 77-year-old businessman remains the undisputed idol of the religious right, as evidenced by his rousing remarks Saturday at the “Road to Majority” conference, hosted in the federal capital by the evangelical and conservative movement “Faith and Freedom”.

“Together, we are warriors in a just crusade to stop arsonists, atheists, globalists, and Marxists,” Trump said in trademark apocalyptic language, during his closing speech to a standing ovation.

“We will restore our Republic as a nation under God’s guidance,” he added.

However, evangelical white voters were slow to support Trump’s candidacy during his 2016 presidential campaign. Once convinced, though, nothing seemed to change their minds.

His success, according to Suzzanne Monk, a 50-year-old conservative activist, he owes to his qualities as a “leader.”

“Many politicians we have known for decades… are content with the bare minimum to get re-elected. Donald Trump has (…) tried to patch things up,” he explained to AFP.

– “Cult of Personality” –

Former vice president Mike Pence, a conservative Christian, seems the ideal candidate for evangelicals.

But he was booed during a “Road to Majority” rally in 2021 for not refusing, as asked by Donald Trump, to certify the election of Joe Biden, receiving only shy applause this year.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was booed by the mob when he accused the former president of betraying the state on Friday.

Donald Trump, however, has also at times infuriated some Christian rights leaders, by suggesting that the anti-abortion candidate was responsible for the Republican Party’s poor results in the last midterm elections.

But still, the twice-divorced man was the star of the Bible rally – which was held a year after the Supreme Court’s repeal of abortion rights.

“I am charged for you and I believe that + you + more than 200 million people who love our country,” he told the crowd, saying “it is a testament to extraordinary courage”.

Opening the conference, Ralph Reed, founder of the “Faith and Liberty” movement, denied Trump’s “personality cult” among evangelicals.

“There is only one person we worship, and that is Jesus Christ,” he said.

– “Only one candidate” –

Officials present at the conference also found it easier to welcome Donald Trump’s record than his personality.

According to them, the former president fought for his supporters like no one else, and was the president who most honored his election promises, in particular by bringing three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, which then reinstated constitutional guarantees of abortion. .

“The question is not to know: (…) + are we equal? ​​+” “It’s to know: who will turn my values ​​into action”, explains Suzzanne Monk. “That’s why all these people love Donald Trump.”

Enzo Alcindor, chief real estate agent in Florida, said he opposed Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ candidacy.

“He has no place in this race,” said the 50-year-old from Haiti.

“The others (candidates) have no build (…) there is only one and only one candidate for me. And that is President Donald Trump,” he said.