Home Daily Buzz James Dobson Endorses Donald Trump

James Dobson Endorses Donald Trump

James Dobson
Photo of Donald Trump from Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of James Dobson from Focus on the Family, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hours before Donald Trump took the stage of the Republican National Convention, Dr. James Dobson gave him his endorsement, “I have decided to endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States, not only because of my great concern about Hillary Clinton.” Dobson continued, “I am supporting Mr. Trump primarily because I believe he is the most capable candidate to lead the United States of America in this complicated hour.”

Dr. Dobson is the well-known founder of Focus on the Family, an evangelical ministry headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dobson said his decision was also influenced by the positive relationship Donald Trump has with his children.

Last month, Dobson expressed his opinion that Trump is a new Christian and who “appears to be tender to the things of the Spirit.”

Dobson had previously endorsed Ted Cruz, citing his record on “religious liberty, life and marriage” as the best within the Republican field. A Dobson spokesperson told TIME magazine Dobson’s decision was influenced by Ted Cruz’s RNC speech earlier this week, in which he congratulated Trump on the nomination, but chose not to endorse him, and was booed.

Dr. Dobson has agreed to serve on a faith advisory committee for Trump, consisting of 25 evangelical leaders, including Jerry Falwell, Jr., Robert Jeffress, Jack Graham, Ben Carson, James Robison and Michele Bachmann.

As more evangelical leaders endorse Donald Trump, a recent Pew Research survey found a majority (78 percent) of white evangelical protestants said they would vote for Trump. Forty-one percent of voters told Pew Research they believed neither Trump or Clinton would make a good president.