How conservatives think Biden could 'lessen evangelicals' opposition to him'


The Trump administration has made expanding religious liberty a point of emphasis over the last few years, and some conservatives think embracing that aspect of the Trump presidency could help President-elect Joe Biden make inroads with evangelical voters, Politico reports.
Some members of Biden's team are wary of President Trump's focus on religious freedom, which has led to measures to protect vulnerable minority sects overseas or criticize adversaries who clamp down on them like China. The skeptics, Politico notes, don't disagree that religious liberty is an essential cause, but they do suspect it was one Trump was utilizing to undermine other civil liberties, such as women's and LBGTQ rights. In short, there's a possibility Biden could be pushed to find ways to subtly scale back some of the current administration's agenda.
Prominent conservatives, on the other hand, think Biden, who has made it clear he wants to reach out to Trump voters, should actually build on the infrastructure left by Trump. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, told Politico that doing so "would lessen evangelicals' opposition" to Biden, and "make them feel more supportive of him."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As things stand, Biden has not made any promises either way, but it seems likely he'll have to make a choice on the matter at some point. Read more at Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
RFK Jr.: How to destroy vaccination
Feature Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaces all 17 members of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice
-
The god in the machine
Feature An AI model with superhuman intelligence could soon become reality. Should we be worried?
-
ICE: Targeting essential workers
Feature After a brief pause, the Trump administration resumes its mass deportation plan
-
Judges order release of 2 high-profile migrants
Speed Read Kilmar Ábrego García is back in the US and Mahmoud Khalil is allowed to go home — for now
-
US assessing bomb damage to Iran nuclear sites
Speed Read Trump claims this weekend's US bombing obliterated Tehran's nuclear program, while JD Vance insists the US is 'not at war with Iran'
-
Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
-
Marines, National Guard in LA can detain Americans
speed read The troops have been authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration raids
-
Trump vows 'very big force' against parade protesters
Speed Read The parade, which will shut down much of the capital, will celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary and Trump's 79th birthday
-
Smithsonian asserts its autonomy from Trump
speed read The DC institution defied Trump's firing of National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet
-
Trump sends Marines to LA, backs Newsom arrest
speed read California Gov. Gavin Newsom is filing lawsuits in response to Trump's escalation of the federal response to ICE protests
-
Trump foists National Guard on unwilling California
speed read Protests erupted over ICE immigration raids in LA county