Reactions to Kenneth Copeland at Trump Rally, ‘DeSanctimonious’ Comment Indicate Growing Divide Among Evangelicals Over Trump

“We have the best poll numbers,” Trump reiterated. “We’re winning big, big, big in the Republican party for the nomination like nobody’s ever seen before.”

It is unclear what polling data Trump was referring to. In listing his possible opponents in the Republican primary and their polling data, Trump referred to DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” 

He went on to sarcastically remark that former vice president Mike Pence is “doing better” than he would have thought. He also scoffed at Liz Cheney, saying, “There’s no way she’s at 4%!”

As clips of Trump’s “DeSanctimonious” comment and news of Copeland’s presence at the rally began to circulate online, Trump found himself in the crosshairs of once vocal and faithful evangelical supporters.

“Well, so much for hoping the man has the best interests of the nation at heart,” said James White, director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, in reference to Trump’s jab at DeSantis. White later tweeted, “Copeland praying at Trump’s rally…Any hope two years might have brought some kind of…maturing…yeah, well, you can hope, right?”

“This is a big part of why we have Biden as President. I’m thankful for many things Trump did, but his arrogance and belittling of others is grotesque,” said Texas pastor Tom Buck. “I’ll take Ron DeSantis any day over Trump.”

The next day, Trump and DeSantis held dueling rallies in Florida. Despite the Florida gubernatorial election being mere days away, Trump did not express support for DeSantis, apart from an offhand comment affirming the fact that Florida would “re-elect Ron DeSantis as your governor.” 

For his part, DeSantis made no mention of tension between himself and the former president, also downplaying a potential presidential run, though it is expected that he will announce his candidacy sometime after the midterm elections. 

Known for his “anti-woke” platform and ongoing disputes with corporations like Disney, DeSantis has used his re-election campaign to endear himself to evangelical voters. 

In one campaign ad, DeSantis is described as “a fighter” sent by God.

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“And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a protector,’” a voiceover says in the ad. “So God made a fighter.”