As the 2024 Iowa caucus approaches, a new book has emerged exposing controversial statements made by former President Donald Trump about the state's evangelicals.
The work, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta, sheds light on Trump's criticism of Iowa evangelicals during the 2016 Republican primary.
In the book, Alberta revealed that Trump began speculating about a conspiracy among powerful evangelicals to prevent him from securing the GOP nomination.
According to an outlet that obtained a copy, Trump made derogatory remarks about Iowa evangelicals while he was engaged in a fierce battle with Senator Ted Cruz for the primary nomination. These comments followed Trump's well-known blunder when he mistakenly referred to a Bible verse as "two Corinthians."
As Cruz's allies used the "Two Corinthians" incident to attack Trump in the final days leading up to the Iowa caucuses, the former president expressed his displeasure to an Iowa Republican official, saying, "You know, these so-called Christians hanging around with Ted are some real pieces of s---."
The book further stated that Trump continued to make derogatory remarks about the evangelical community in the years that followed.
Despite Trump's controversial comments, recent polling indicated that he still maintains a significant lead in the Iowa caucus.
According to Real Clear Politics, Trump is averaging at around 58.5 percent with likely Republican voters, while in a distant second place, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sits 44.1 points behind at 14.4 percent. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is in third place at 9 percent and Vivek Ramaswamy currently holds fourth place at 4.7 percent.
All other candidates still in the race are polling at 2 percent or less.
Influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats recently announced he is endorsing DeSantis for the caucus, as is Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa.
Despite these key endorsements, Trump's lead in the polls remains strong, with a good margin over the rest in his field.
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The revelation of Trump's disparaging remarks toward Iowa evangelicals in this new book adds a contentious element to the upcoming caucus.
It remains to be seen how these comments will ultimately impact the dynamics of the upcoming election.
