One of Iowa’s most influential faith leaders will be among a group of religious and social conservatives meeting tomorrow with Donald Trump in New York. Bob Vander Plaats, who heads the group The Family Leader, says they want to know more about what kind of leader Trump would be, and who he’d choose for his administration.
“What the faith leaders are really going to communicate is a trust level, how we represent ourselves means a lot, the words that we choose mean a lot,” he said Friday on IPR’s River to River program. “But more than that, who are you going to surround yourself with?”
Vander Plaats says he doesn’t expect to come out of the meeting saying he endorses Trump for president.
“I really view endorsing as saying I endorse everything, pretty much, about them,” he says. “I could see myself getting to a level of saying I support Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.”
Vander Plaats has urged conservatives to hold Trump to a very high standard before nominating him at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next month. The head of Iowa’s Republican Party has criticized Vander Plaats for that, saying it’s time for the party to unite behind Trump.
