Former President Donald Trump is courting voters in Arizona and Nevada who are Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons.
Mormons, a typically strong Republican voting bloc, have seen some defections to the Democrats in recent years, partly due to Democratic overtures. Last month, Vice President Kamala Harris launched “Latter-day Saints for Harris-Walz,” specifically targeting Mormon voters in Arizona and Nevada. Now, Trump is making his own appeal, hosting a number of Mormon influencers and political figures at Mar-a-Lago.
A source familiar with the matter told Deseret that the meeting was meant “to strategize how to coalesce and motivate the LDS vote.”
Among those present were Diesel Brothers reality TV stars Dave Sparks and David Kiley and Marlon Bateman, a former State Department official. Trump reportedly tasked Bateman with leading a “Latter-day Saints for Trump” coalition fundraising event.
Another possibility being entertained by the Trump campaign is a smaller rally in Arizona specifically targeting Mormons, featuring Mormon influencers.
Trump has already won over every Mormon congressman, with the notable exception of longtime rival Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who said he wouldn’t be voting for him. Trump also won over previous harsh critics, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who is now one of his most outspoken supporters, and Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT).
While Trump is expected to clear the Mormon bastion of Utah easily, his focus is more on the 440,000 Mormons in Arizona and 180,000 Mormons in Nevada. Trump and Harris are neck and neck in both states.
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Mormons, though still solidly Republican overall, tend to have more politically eclectic views than other deep red blocs, such as white Evangelicals. A 2023 survey found that two-thirds of Mormons believe diversity should be encouraged. This statistic flips when asked to Evangelicals, who largely believe that the country should “be careful about too much diversity.”
Mormons are also much more critical of Trump’s moral character, particularly in 2016, when the Republican contender had the worst performance among Mormons in decades. This problem looks to be exacerbated in the future by a growing liberal trend among the younger generations.