Bob Vander Plaats. (file photo)
Bob Vander Plaats, the leader of an Evangelical Christian group in Iowa, will be among hundreds of conservatives meeting with Donald Trump today in New York.
“What the faith leaders are really going to want to communicate is a trust level,” Vander Plaats says. “How we represent ourselves means a lot, the words that we choose mean a lot, but more than that: Who are you going to surround yourself with?”
Vander Plaats endorsed Ted Cruz before the Iowa Caucuses and he’s been among Republican National Convention delegates who’ve said “everything must be on the table” — and that includes selecting someone other than Trump as the party’s presidential nominee.
Vander Plaats says he is not part of the “Never Trump” movement, but he doesn’t expect to “endorse” Trump either.
“I really view endorsing as being something that I endorse everything, pretty much, about them and I could see get myself to getting a level of saying: ‘I could support Donald Trump over, say, a Hillary Clinton,'” Vander Plaats says.
Vander Plaats made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s “River to River” program.
Vander Plaats sent an email to his network of supporters Monday. He asked people to pray for guidance in how Christian leaders should “lead during these trying times” — including the 2016 election.
(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Michael Leland)