Trump Targets Prayer in School to Firm Up Evangelical Support

Court rulings dating back 60 years set out clear restrictions
White evangelical Christians are key bloc for Trump in 2020

Donald Trump prays during an 'Evangelicals for Trump' Coalition launch event in Miami, Florida, on Jan. 3. — Donald Trump prays during an 'Evangelicals for Trump' Coalition launch event in Miami, Florida, on Jan. 3.
Photographer: Marco Bello/Bloomberg

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By Mario Parker

January 16, 2020 at 9:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

President Donald Trump will announce new guidance on prayer in public schools on Thursday, targeting an area in which he’s allowed scant constitutional latitude in another appeal to evangelical Christian voters.

Trump telegraphed the action during a Jan. 3 event at a Miami-area megachurch to launch an “Evangelicals for Trump” coalition, telling the audience it would be “big.” But prayer in schools is already legal, with restrictions set out in a series of court actions the president can’t unilaterally countermand.