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

Tim O'Donnell

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."

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.

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