Donald Trump Trial Will Lose Him Evangelicals—Former Biden Adviser

The Stormy Daniels hush money trial will hurt Trump's evangelical Christian base as the sexual allegations continue, a former adviser to President Joe Biden has said.

Moe Vela, a former Biden communications aide, told Newsweek that while the trial could primarily cost Trump votes among independents and women, it will also start to affect his credibility among evangelicals.

That's because the allegations of extramarital affairs with an adult film actress and a Playboy model jar with the Christian values of some of his supporters.

"I predict it will even cost him some political points with evangelicals," Mr Vela said. "The trial is a daily reminder of Mr. Trump's disregard for the sanctity of marriage and his consistent infidelity as a way of life and pattern."

" Eventually I believe that true Christians and evangelicals will recognize the incongruence between their beliefs and values and Mr. Trump's actions, history and rhetoric. This trial simply heightens and expedites that inevitable moment of truth."

Newsweek sought email comment from Trump's attorney on Wednesday.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is the first former president in United States history to stand trial in a criminal case. He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide payments to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

The Manhattan District Attorney seeks to prove that before the 2016 presidential election, Trump paid, or discussed paying, the two women not to disclose alleged affairs with them, thereby influencing voters about his character. He denies affairs with either woman and claims he is the victim of a witch hunt.

Vela doesn't believe the trial will affect Trump's support among his non-evangelical conservative base.

"Fundamentally, I don't believe that this Trump trial is going to have any adverse impact from a political perspective on Mr. Trump's [non-evangelical] base. They have proven time and again that they are with him through thick and thin."

"That said, no matter the outcome of the trial, in my opinion, there will be collateral political damage with independent voters and women, in particular," Vela added.

According to a profile of him in the Politico website, Vela was well known as a rapid and frequent communicator for Biden.

The Stormy Daniels trial comes at an embarrassing time for Trump as he continues to court the Christian votes.

In March, began selling patriotic-themed bibles.

He urged his supporters to buy the God Bless the USA Bible; the title of which is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood's patriotic ballad of the same name. The book, which is priced at $59.99, includes the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and the handwritten chorus to God Bless the USA.

The venture came as Trump attempted to match President Joe Biden's fundraising numbers ahead of the November election.

The comedy show, Saturday Night Live, mocked Trump's bible selling.

In late March, one episode began with actor James Austin Johnson as Trump announcing that it's Easter, the "time of year when I compare myself to Jesus Christ."

He adds: "That's just a thing I do now and people seem to be OK with it. I'm gonna keep doing it. And if you think that this is a bad look, imagine how weird it would be if I started selling bibles. Well, I'm selling bibles."

"As you know, I love bible," Johnson's Trump says on SNL. "It's my favorite book. I've definitely read it. My favorite part is probably the ending, how it all wraps up.

The book that is "even better," he says, "comes with everything you like from [the] Bible, like the story of Easter, which primarily concerns Jesus, not so much the bunny. I kept waiting for the bunny to show up."