Donald Trump to Evangelicals: 'I'm One of You'

With his poll numbers lagging a bit, Donald Trump assured evangelicals last night that he and the Lord have found each other. His revelation came at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Dinner, Politico reports. "I'm one of you," says Trump. "Just remember that. I brought my Bible. See? I'm better than you thought." That may refer to his earlier pro-choice views, three marriages, and remarks at the Family Leadership Summit in July that sounded a little glib. There, after saying he had never asked for God's forgiveness, Trump explained: "When I drink my little wine—which is about the only wine I drink—and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of asking for forgiveness, and I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed."

But evangelicals didn't seem to mind, and showered him last night with applause and laughter. "I will be great, I will protect you," he said in one of several vows to protect religious liberties, the New York Times reports. "Believe me, I will protect you." Other speakers at the event included Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, and Bobby Jindal, while Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson addressed the Des Moines crowd by video. But it seems Trump was the only one competing directly with the head of the Catholic Church. "I even beat out the Pope!" he says of his own popularity in the days preceding Pope Francis' US visit. "Can you believe it? It's the only time I've beat out the Pope." (Jindal once said Trump hasn't read the BIble because "he's not in the Bible.")