Why do evangelicals prefer Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton?

At a Liberty University schoolwide assembly, Mr Falwell put the focus on Mrs Clinton’s record, deeming it much more of a threat than Mr Trump’s predatory remarks. “It doesn’t matter what the Republican establishment does, tries to do to Donald Trump, because they’re not where he got his power”.

Evangelical speaker Julie Roys, host of a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network called “Up For Debate”, also wrote in an op-ed for The Christian Post this week that evangelicals who defend Trump after all his controversies are destroying the church’s witness. And many bragged about their “sexual conquests” in an effort to impress us.

Gary Bauer of the Campaign for Working Families and Steve Scheffler of Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition have expressed their disappointment about Trump’s remarks but they continue to stand behind him.

At the start of Sunday’s second presidential debate, Donald Trump reiterated that he felt that his boasting about sexual assault was just “locker room banter“. While he occasionally clarifies that supporting Trump is not the official position of Liberty University, he knows it is his title of president of the largest Christian university in the world that gives him political credentials.

A student group called Liberty United Against Trump published their grievances online. “It’s one of those things”, Trump said.

“This is a man I’ve been alone with many times who’s never been anything but gracious and gentleman”, Conway said. I think he is.

Trump also said his tape was “just words” and “locker room talk“. According to RAINN, an American is sexually assaulted every two minutes, and one out of every six American women has suffered an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. Trump is a casino mogul who was married three times, said he didn’t need to ask God for forgiveness, mocked a disabled reporter and alluded to his penis size during a debate.

Other high profile evangelicals, such as the Southern Baptist Convention’s Russell Moore, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler and Christian author Max Lacado, have remained steadfastly opposed to Trump.

But even after a weekend spent huddling in Manhattan plotting strategy, a crucial question for the Republican nominee was whether this latest outrage would finally repel conservative Christians who are key to the GOP’s hopes for recapturing the White House.

Almost 80% of white evangelical voters back Trump, according to a recent Pew Research Center.

Dr. Ben Carson, another former opponent turned supporter of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, wrote a piece for the Independent Journal Review, saying that he doesn’t condone Trump’s statements, but that he thinks the release was timed to draw attention from Hillary Clinton.

The comments that appeared to condone sexual assault were swiftly condemned by Clinton’s campaign and any number of Republicans. Social conservatives flocked to his side over other deeply religious Republican presidential candidates, such as Ted Cruz.

Voters are more concerned with more recent issues, like Hillary Clinton’s email use, Reed continued.

Younger evangelicals likely don’t remember that far back.