Trump holds virtual meeting with Latter-day Saint community: ‘Religious freedom is the foundation of all freedom’

During a virtual call that was organized by Marlon Bateman and Doug Quezada, Trump told a group of Latter-day Saints, “The Constitution is hanging by the thread, literally hanging by a thread. We cannot let that go on." Trump shared his concerns over the values of the family as well as religious freedom.

"We believe that faith in God and our Judeo-Christian values are essential to a healthy American society. We believe in family, we believe in parental rights, we believe ... religious freedom is the foundation of all freedom. It is the absolute foundation of all freedom," Trump added. He then touted his record with the Supreme Court as well as other judicial picks.

Trump also slammed Kamala Harris on the call over her positions, saying that she will “push gender ideology on children” and criticized her for “interrogat[ing] Christian judicial nominees about their political” beliefs. During her time in the Senate, Harris took issue with a judicial nominee for being a member of the Knights of Columbus, the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world. The GOP nominee added that if Harris is elected, she will attack "our American heritage and against religion itself."

The GOP nominee was joined by speakers involved in politics who are Latter-day Saints, including the Blaze founder Glenn Beck, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Celeste Maloy (R-UT), Burgess Owens (R-UT), cofounder of Moms for Liberty Tina Descovich, and many others.

The speakers voiced their support for Trump and why they felt he was the right choice for the presidency come November. Beck spoke on the call, saying that those in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints want to support “the Bill of Rights that has been enshrined and built our country.” He added that Trump would help to restore the rights of American citizens if he is elected president, and that even those on the left are taking notice.

“The constitution is hanging by a thread. You know who gets that? Some Democrats. Elon Musk gets that. Tulsi Gabbard gets that. RFK Jr, an icon of the Democratic Party, says ‘This party is dangerous. I have to stand with Donald Trump,’” Beck later added.

Mike Lee addressed his concerns over Harris' stance on religious freedom and the rights of minority groups, including “minority religions," such as Latter-day Saints, many of whom are in the western US in the states of Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada. Lee said that the threat to “religious freedom” is the “elephant in the room” with the Democratic nominee.

"This is one of the areas where I find most disagreement with our Latter-day Saint friends who have chosen to defend and protect and advocate for Kamala Harris, because one cannot support Kamala Harris and call her a friend of religious freedom,” Lee added. He cited Harris’ advocacy for the Do No Harm Act which he said would “essentially gut the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Lee told The Post Millennial, “Latter-day Saint families in Utah and across America pray for the freedom to raise our families right, the security to build and grow our communities, and the strength to protect our wonderful country. Donald Trump will deliver these victories, which is why I’ll be proud to vote for him in November.”

Owens said that the election in 2024 gives Latter-day Saints a chance to create “a more perfect union” and to give their “kids a legacy that they can continue.” The Utah congressman cited facts and figures about the marriage rate in the mid-1900s of the black community, saying that it was much higher then. He added that Trump will be able to maintain the “basic concepts of faith, family, free markets, and education" in the United States, and deliver on policies to support those values in the black community.

Maloy spoke in support of Trump’s promise to take on the administrative state, “You can call it whatever you want. Call it draining the swamp, call it taking on the deep state. Call it restoring the balance of power between the branches. But what we need is to take out that layer of bureaucracy that's getting in the way of our individual freedoms.”

Biggs told those Latter-day Saints on the call the familiar belief of many in the Church, that the Constitution is a divinely inspired document, adding that the separation of powers is vitally important to the US government, but it has been “turned upside down” with the administrative state.

The Arizona representative told TPM after the call, “LDS for Trump had a great turnout for their event tonight, and I’m thankful for the work they’re doing to mobilize voters for President Trump. All who want to protect faith, family and freedom need to vote for President Trump this November.”

Tina Descovich, one of the co-founders of Moms for Liberty, and also a Latter-day Saint, spoke about the Family Proclamation, a core piece of doctrine among Latter-day Saints, and said that “there are so many things in that Family Proclamation that are under attack right now in our country from all angles.”

A portion from the Family Proclamation that Descovich and other speakers cited reads: “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

She said that Harris and Tim Walz do not support the values of the document. “I could show you policies and laws, things that are being implemented to divide children from their parents," she added. Descovich cited policies from Tim Waltz’s Minnesota, where she said “Children are told to hide from their parents if they want to change their gender."

The conversation took place after a Trump rally in Arizona, where several of those present on the call sat for a round table discussion. Trump told those present that he would always be a defender of religious freedom, per a source who spoke to TPM. Harris has also attempted to reach out to Latter-day Saints, however, the conservative voting bloc is likely to support Trump, which may mean the difference in the swing states of Arizona and Nevada, depending on voter turnout.