By Callista Gingrich, The Daily Caller News Foundation | September 29, 2024
A recent poll by Pew Research Center found that former President Donald Trump is winning the Catholic and Protestant vote.
Conducted from Aug. 26-Sept. 2, the survey found that 52% of Catholics and 61% of Protestants support Trump for president, while 47% of Catholics and 37% of Protestants back Vice President Kamala Harris.
As more Americans become aware of how radical Harris is, it is clear to see why Trump has won this support from religious voters. Harris may have been the surprise replacement for President Joe Biden, but her position on issues is far from unknown. She claims to be a future-oriented, change candidate eager to “turn the page and chart a new way forward.” Harris, however, is a professional politician with a radical policy record that she can’t defend among the religious electorate. (RELATED: Christians Against Trump Should Realize They’ll Be Public Enemy No. 1 In Harris Admin)
Consider that in 2014, in the case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, California Attorney General Harris filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court and was joined by 13 states and the District of Columbia. Harris called on the court to force Hobby Lobby to violate its religious beliefs and cover the cost of contraception for its employees. (The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, protecting the family-owned arts-and-crafts chain to operate its business in line with its religious beliefs and values.)
As attorney general of California, Harris also was a vocal advocate and “proud” co-sponsor of the Reproductive FACT Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in 2015. This law required medically licensed pro-life pregnancy centers to display signs advertising low-cost or free abortions available in California.
The law “was very clear that it was targeting pro-life viewpoints,” said Denise Harle, who served as senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom. In a 2018 decision, the Supreme Court agreed with this view and struck down the law. In National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra (initially named NIFLA vs. Kamala Harris), Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the majority opinion: “the FACT Act unduly burdens protected speech.”
As a U.S. Senator for California from 2017-2021, Harris introduced and was the lead sponsor of the Do No Harm Act, which would have ended religious exemptions for certain government mandates, such as rules requiring insurance coverage of specific medical procedures. As a legal expert at First Liberty wrote at the time: “This country was founded on religious liberty. The Do No Harm Act strikes at the heart of that freedom.”
Additionally, the Do No Harm Act would have undermined the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The RFRA is a 1993 landmark law that protects the rights of people of faith to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience.
Further, Sen. Harris was also an original co-sponsor of the “Equality Act,” a bill that would have further unraveled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and enabled the government to prosecute faith-based institutions for refusing to hire employees who openly oppose their religious teachings. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was clear in denouncing the proposed legislation and said the Equality Act would “run roughshod over religious liberty.” (RELATED: CALLISTA GINGRICH: J.D. Vance’s Inspiring Journey To Catholicism)
Additionally, Sen. Harris questioned three judicial nominees on their affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, suggesting that involvement with the Catholic fraternal organization disqualifies a nominee for potential bias.
When I served as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the Holy See, I witnessed the importance of having a president who stands up for religious freedom. Trump has a proven track record of promoting and protecting religious freedom at home and abroad. Kamala Harris has repeatedly advanced an anti-faith agenda.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich is president and chief executive officer of Gingrich 360, a multimedia production and consulting company based in Arlington, Virginia. She is a former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.
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