Former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is intensifying his efforts to secure Catholic backing — claiming that the faith is under attack by the federal government.
On Wednesday, Trump shared a message on his social media platform Truth Social, applauding a recent initiative aimed at Vice President Kamala Harris on behalf of Catholic voters.
“A significant group of Catholics is launching a substantial political campaign against Crazy Kamala Harris. FINALLY! Catholics are truly being persecuted by this Wack Job, just ask the Knights of Columbus,” Trump stated.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump signs paperwork to officially accept the nomination during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“They say that she is the most Anti-Catholic person ever to run for high office in the U.S,” the former president added. “This esteemed group wants ALL CATHOLICS TO VOTE AGAINST KAMALA, and they are absolutely right.”
Trump referred to a multi-million dollar initiative launched by CatholicVote — the largest Catholic political advocacy organization in the nation.
The organization recently began a multi-million dollar campaign in heavily Catholic swing states to challenge Harris’ presidential aspirations.
CatholicVote amplified Trump’s message via social media platform X, expressing gratitude for “bringing attention to our campaign.”
“We’re proud to reveal Kamala’s disgusting contempt for Catholics,” CatholicVote stated. “Having a president who unflinchingly highlights this animosity is essential to combat religious prejudice.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Shortly after, Trump provided a more explicit endorsement, specifically recognizing CatholicVote and elaborating on his comments regarding the Knights of Columbus.
“CatholicVote.org is doing an EXCELLENT job mobilizing voters — All Catholics should support this remarkable mission! Crazy Kamala Harris is anti-Catholic,” Trump later stated on Tuesday. “She criticized a Judicial Nominee for being a member of the Highly Respected Knights of Columbus! There should NEVER be a Religious Test for serving our Country. IN GOD WE TRUST!”
In 2018, Harris criticized then-federal judge nominee Brian Buescher’s association with the Knights of Columbus during her questioning. In her written inquiries to Buescher, then-Senator Harris described the KOC as “an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men, led by Mr. Carl Anderson.”
Harris queried Buescher, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization? Did you agree with Mr. Carl Anderson that abortion is ‘the killing of the innocent on a massive scale?’ Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization?”
In previous remarks to Fox News, Harris campaign spokesperson James Singer asserted on Monday, “Vice President Harris takes pride in serving alongside the second Catholic president in history. Catholic voters are not defined by a singular partisan organization, but by their values, communities, faith in one another, and love for our country — and Kamala Harris will strive every day to earn their votes.”
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A statue of St Francis of Assisi and stations of the cross surround pews in a Roman Catholic Church. (iStock, courtesy of user Stephen Barnes)
The Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 by Fr. Michael McGivney to serve as a “mission of charity,” aiding widows, orphans, and those in need.
CatholicVote president Brian Burch previously told Fox News, “Kamala Harris embodies the most egregious anti-Catholic threat of any leading presidential candidate in American history. She represents the hard left, and her record and words reveal a clear anti-Catholic bias and prejudice.”
Defenders of Harris have noted that she currently serves with President Biden, who often references his Catholic identity at political events.
However, these appeals provoke intense discussions among the faithful concerning how much deviation from Catholic principles on issues like abortion and marriage can be accepted before separating oneself from the Church.
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U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance look on as he is nominated for the office of Vice President on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Trump’s running-mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, converted to Catholicism in 2019.
Upon Vance’s announcement as the vice-presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention this month, many Democrats expressed concerns about his Catholic-aligned perspectives on social matters.
Trump has been strategically targeting Catholic and religious Jewish communities in his 2024 campaign, often addressing them as a duo of religious minorities whose interests he claims are being neglected by the Biden administration.
The former president mentioned Jews at the conclusion of his original appeal to Catholics, stating: “P.S. Jewish people are being treated even worse, if that’s conceivable. They are abandoning Kamala and the Democrats rapidly – And it’s high time!”
Fox News Digital’s Lauren Green contributed to this report.
