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Last week, Donald Trump听听a Christian audience that if they voted for him in 2024, they wouldn鈥檛 have to vote again in four years.

Christians, get out and vote, just this time. You won鈥檛 have to do it anymore. 鈥� You got to get out and vote. In four years, you don鈥檛 have to vote again. We鈥檒l have it fixed so good you鈥檙e not going to have to vote.

顿别尘辞肠谤补迟蝉听听补蝉听. But not all conservative Christians were thrilled about it, either.

, who leads an organisation dedicated to getting Christian leaders elected, fretted that Trump鈥檚 comments could discourage Christians from voting in the future.

鈥淓vangelicals in 2028, 2032, and 2036 must raise their civics game to a new level if America is to return to the Judeo-Christian heritage and Biblical-based culture laid out by the founders鈥�, Lane听.

Was Trump really promising dictatorship? Or claiming there would be no need for Christians to vote in future elections? Or was he just听, based on his (听) belief that conservative Christians are reluctant voters?

Even jokes can be revealing, especially when it comes to the听. Trump was not saying he would end elections, but he was being coyly听听about what Christians could expect from this one.

Trump听, but he is not a traditional Christian politician. Conservative Christian leaders typically fight听听to bring or keep their country in line with their moral beliefs. But as I鈥檝e听, many rank and file Christian conservatives in America have been left听听by the failures of this approach, and Trump has tapped into their frustrations.

Either explicitly or听, Trump has听听听Christians far听听听than incremental policy gains or temporary reversals of fortune in the culture wars. Trump instead talks about winning the 鈥溾��, which reminds many Christians of the prophesied听.

If anything, this election Trump has been downplaying policies that conservative Christians might want. The Republican platform for 2024 has听听the party鈥檚 hardline opposition to abortion, because Trump has said Republicans must 鈥溾��.

Only Trump, who appointed the judges who overturned Roe v Wade, would have the听听to do this without fearing the loss of conservative Christian support. And that credibility is as high now as it has ever been.

In the past, Trump has enjoyed the way some Christians have likened him to righteous biblical rulers such as听,听, and听. Many of his supporters took his 鈥溾�� survival of an horrific assassination attempt as an听听that God is protecting him. And ever since the shooting, Trump also seems to听听听in听.

When he听听about Christians only needing to vote once, he also听

I have the wounds all over my body. If I took this shirt off you鈥檇 see a beautiful, beautiful person but you鈥檇 see wounds all over me. I鈥檝e taken a lot of wounds, I can tell you. More than I suspect any president ever.鈥�

Trump鈥檚 use of "wounds鈥� would not have been lost on his Christian audience. The idea of him taking wounds for them parallels Saint Peter鈥檚 proclamation about Jesus that 鈥溾��.

Most Christians would not go as far as conservative broadcaster Wayne Allyn Root in calling Trump 鈥溾��, but many of them trust that God is听听and听.

There are two other serious revelations in Trump鈥檚 joke.

The first is that he is counting on his base to win the election. His selection of JD Vance as his running mate was not calculated to win over groups with whom Trump has struggled in recent years, particularly听. Rather, it came at the height of the Trump team鈥檚 conviction that they were听.

Vance has become the intellectual muscle of the Trump movement, articulating a fiercely听听vision of the future. A consistent implication of Vance鈥檚 rhetoric in recent years, from his support of听听听and his opposition to听听to his disparagement of 鈥溾��, is that听.

This听, but Democrats have effectively cast him as 鈥溾��, and Vance has the听听for a non-incumbent vice presidential candidate at this stage of the race. If Trump is going to win with Vance against Kamala Harris, he might need听听than the record numbers he got from the last two elections.

The second is that for all the talk of Vance being a choice for the future, Trump has little interest in the future beyond his own second term. This comes across more clearly in the听听of the joke:

They go to church every Sunday, but they don鈥檛 vote. In four years, you don鈥檛 have to vote. Okay? In four years, don鈥檛 vote. I don鈥檛 care.

Trump has听听the Republican Party as his听. When he finally exits, no one else may be able to drive it.

Associate Professor David Smith, is Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy in the Discipline of Government and International Relations. He is a co-author of听听and a member of the US Studies Centre.听 This story was first published in .

Hero Image:听Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump wraps up a campaign rally, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Image credit: Alex Brandon/AP/AAP Image.