Former President Donald J. Trump often describes his presidential campaign as a battle for America’s future. But speaking at a Christian media convention in Nashville on Thursday, he wrapped that portrayal in a strict framework of good versus evil, describing his political opponents as part of a “wicked” system.
Mr. Trump also revived his assertion that “America’s greatest threat comes not from outside our country” but “from within,” language that sounded the alarm last year from experts who saw echoes of autocratic leaders.
During his speech Thursday at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, Mr. Trump described the threat as coming from liberals — more specifically, a “radical, corrupt left-wing political class” — whom he largely presented as being intrinsically determined to attack Christianity.
“Christians cannot afford to stand idly by in this fight,” Mr. Trump said. He later added, without providing evidence, that liberals persecute Christians because “they know our allegiance is not given to them.” Our allegiance is to our country and our allegiance is to our creator. (Many Christians are Democrats.)
Before running for office, Mr. Trump did not show signs of being particularly religious, which he acknowledged at the start of his speech, and he does not often give faith-focused speeches on the trail. But evangelical voters in 2016 were attracted by its populist message and his promises to appoint “pro-life” judges, and they remained faithful to him.
During his third election campaign, Mr. Trump often presented himself as a staunch defender of the Christian right. He also often boasts about the appointment of three Supreme Court justices who, in 2022, voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
On Thursday, he praised those justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — from the stage, calling them “great judges” and “great people.” (All three will decide constitutional questions related to Mr. Trump’s criminal cases and his election bid.)
Mr. Trump often appeared uncomfortable or unwilling to discuss abortion at length on the campaign trail. During his speech, he took credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, without using the word “abortion” or mentioning the case by name.
“I was able to bring this issue back to the states for the first time in 54 years,” Mr. Trump said, before falsely stating that “on both sides, everyone agrees that it is there that it should be.”
Many voters did not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, a fact that became more evident after abortion rights became a campaign issue that lifted Democrats in elections across the country in 2022 and 2023.
Mr. Trump has avoided taking a clear stance on abortion restrictions following this election, and his emphasis on states’ rights during Thursday’s speech continues that trend.
He also did not address a recent Alabama Supreme Court Decision that embryos in test tubes should be considered children, a ruling that cited anti-abortion language. The Biden campaign criticized Mr. Trump’s silence on the issue.
Mr. Trump has previously said Republicans need to find a way to talk about the issue that doesn’t threaten them at the ballot box, and he has previously criticized a six-week abortion ban signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. a Republican and former political rival, as a “terrible mistake.”
But Mr. Trump told his advisers and allies that he liked the idea of a 16-week national ban on abortion with three exceptions, in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother. The New York Times reported last weekciting two people with direct knowledge of Mr. Trump’s deliberations.
On Thursday, he linked the case to his legal troubles, criticizing the Justice Department for prosecuting six anti-abortion protesters. who in 2021 obstructed a reproductive health clinic in Tennessee, in violation of federal law. They were convicted by jury in the state last month, in a case that has been a flashpoint for conservative activists.
He also reiterated his promise to create a federal task force to focus on “anti-Christian” bias. Mr. Trump has tried to appeal to Christian voters by accusing the Biden administration of criminalizing Americans because of their faith, even though experts have said many of them his claims are baseless or misleading.
But Mr. Trump — who faces 91 counts in four criminal cases, including one related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election — uses these characterizations to support a broader theme of his campaign: that President Biden and Democrats pose serious threats to democracy.
This trend was evident on Thursday. Before Mr. Trump’s presentation, speakers played “Justice for All,” a song featuring the J6 Prison Choir, made up of men imprisoned for their role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
That song — in which the men sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” while Mr. Trump recites the Pledge of Allegiance — is part of a broader effort by Mr. Trump and his supporters to reframe the effort to overturning the 2020 election as an act. patriotism.
During his speech, Mr. Trump referred to the singers as “J6 hostages,” a term he has used repeatedly to describe those serving sentences in connection with the Jan. 6 attack.
