The Trump campaign launched its “Latter-day Saints for Trump” coalition Tuesday evening.

The coalition — which is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — includes top political leaders from Arizona, Idaho and Utah, who seek “to uphold cherished principles of faith, family and religious liberty,” an official release said.

“President Trump’s administration demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting religious freedoms, allowing faith-based organizations to practice their beliefs freely,” the release said. “This coalition aligns with the belief that religious liberty remains a cornerstone of American life and that families are central to our nation’s strength and moral foundation.”

The “Latter-day Saints for Trump” coalition has been in the works for weeks. In September, Trump visited Salt Lake City for a fundraiser, where he tasked local individuals — including Marlon Bateman, a former U.S. State Department official — with forming a coalition. Two weeks ago, Trump hosted Bateman and others at his Mar-a-Lago residence to strategize about Latter-day Saint outreach; last weekend, between sessions of the church’s General Conference, Donald Trump Jr. met with political leaders in Utah to further discuss the rollout.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has launched similar coalitions in Arizona and Nevada.

The Trump group’s website features a mission statement, which says the coalition seeks “to unite Latter-day Saints in preserving the moral and ethical values that strengthen families and communities.”

“Grounded in the teachings of ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’, which emphasizes the sacred nature of family as the fundamental unit of society, this coalition stands firm in its mission to promote policies that safeguard these values,” the mission statement continues. “Through faith, service, and resilience, we stand together to defend the freedoms that allow religious communities to thrive and ensure a brighter future for all.”

Top Utah, Arizona leaders join ‘Latter-day Saints for Trump’

Members of the coalition include Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah; Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona; Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah; Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah; Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes; and Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, among others.

“As Latter-day Saints, we know that freedom and the family are central to God’s plan,” Lee said. “President Trump has consistently stood by our side in defending both, ensuring that Latter-day Saints and people of all faiths can worship freely and live according to our beliefs.”

Biggs and his wife, Cindy, added that they “examined policies implemented by candidates” running for president in “determining whom to support.”

“President Donald Trump promulgated federal laws, rules, and policies that support life, families, and freedom—particularly, freedom of religion,” they said. “We stand with President Trump and his policies, not his opponent’s rhetoric.”

Robert C. O’Brien, who served as Trump’s national security adviser from 2019 to 2021, said he saw “firsthand President Trump’s commitment to freedom. Freedom for Americans being wrongly held abroad; freedom for people to practice their religion throughout the world; and freedom for the American people through his commitment to protecting their constitutional rights,” he said. “Freedom is a foundational principle of our religion and there President Trump stands foursquare with Latter-day Saints.”

Maloy said she worked “closely with the Trump Administration on issues that matter to Utahns,” like “federalism, religious freedom, agency overreach, and accessibility.” Trump “listened and responded,” she said.

“No other President has done that. I’m looking forward to working with him again,” she said.

Other members of the coalition include radio show host Glenn Beck; the “Diesel Brothers,” David Sparks and David Kiley; Kelly Barnett and Darin Hoover, the Utah Gold Star parents of USMC Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover; Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb; Tina Descovich, Co-founder of Moms for Liberty; Doug Quezada, executive vice president of Omnis Energy; Kimberly Fletcher, president and founder of Moms for America; Utah State Rep. Karianne Lisonbee; Utah State Rep. Kera Birkeland; Utah Rep. Melissa Garff Ballard; and former U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah.

Notably absent are Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, two Latter-day Saints who have both endorsed Trump. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Tuesday he would not vote for Trump, nor would he publicly endorse Harris.

Launch muddled by glitch

Trump’s campaign has spent weeks preparing to begin outreach to Latter-day Saint voters in Arizona and Nevada, two battleground states with significant Latter-day Saint populations. But the formal launch, scheduled for this week, was muddled when a draft version of the LDS.DonaldJTrump.com website prematurely went live Tuesday afternoon.

The website, accessible by Google search, featured an image of Trump alongside President Russell M. Nelson and President Henry B. Eyring of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The image was taken during Trump’s 2017 visit to Welfare Square in Salt Lake City.

The Trump campaign’s outreach efforts are unaffiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ and its leaders, and the church remains neutral in partisan political matters. On Tuesday, the church released an official statement reiterating it “does not endorse, promote or oppose political parties and their platforms or candidates for political office.” The Church requests that “candidates for office not imply that their candidacies or platforms are endorsed by the Church.”

The Trump campaign’s draft website was quickly made private and the image was removed “out of an abundance of caution,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said after the Deseret News asked whether they had permission to use the photograph.

When the website relaunched Tuesday evening, the photograph had been removed.

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Harris also steps up Latter-day Saint outreach

Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has already launched formal efforts to target Latter-day Saint voters in Arizona and Nevada. In both states, Harris’ campaign has created “advisory committees” comprised of Latter-day Saint civic and political leaders.

Harris announced her Nevada advisory committee Monday. In a press release, the Harris-Walz campaign said Nevada Latter-day Saints are “typically conservative and independent voters,” but they “played an important role in flipping the state in the 2020 election.”

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Melodee Wilcox, a member of the Nevada Latter-Day Saints for Harris-Walz advisory committee, said, “There is a place for everyone in this campaign, and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are supporting the Vice President’s New Way Forward that will uphold the rule of law, protect our democracy, and ensure everyone has an opportunity to get ahead.”

In Arizona, Harris has secured endorsements from a number of Latter-day Saint Republicans, including Mesa Mayor John Giles and former U.S. Ambassador and Sen. Jeff Flake. Giles spoke at a Harris-Walz rally in Arizona in August, and earned a primetime speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Church of Jesus Christ encourages its members to “engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting that fellow members of the Church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters.”

In 2023, the Church’s First Presidency told members: “Some principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties, and members should seek candidates who best embody those principles. Members should also study candidates carefully and vote for those who have demonstrated integrity, compassion, and service to others, regardless of party affiliation. Merely voting a straight ticket or voting based on ‘tradition’ without careful study of candidates and their positions on important issues is a threat to democracy and inconsistent with revealed standards.”

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