Republican presidential hopefuls, including former President Donald Trump, gathered at an event in Iowa to court the evangelical voting bloc ahead of the state's first nominating contest in
early 2024. At the event, speakers expressed their opposition to transgender rights and pledged to promote Christian values and school choice. Trump promised to fight against late-term abortions but did not discuss pursuing federal restrictions on the procedure.
Other speakers included former Vice President Mike Pence, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy, and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, all of whom are either running for president or considering a bid.
Iowa is a key state for the Republican Party and strong support from evangelicals could give a challenger the opportunity to challenge Trump. Trump won 76% of the white evangelical vote in 2020, according to exit polls. Pence, a devout evangelical who may run for president, and other speakers pledged to limit gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, calling it part of a leftist agenda that contradicts Christian values. Photo by Stevat20, Wikimedia commons.