In the footsteps of the “ladies of North Carolina”

Donald Trump has macabre anecdotes that often come up during his election rallies: man-eating sharks, bird-killing wind turbines, Hannibal Lecter. But another of his favorite things – less morbid – generally goes unnoticed.

“Ah, these fine ladies from North Carolina are here again without their husbands,” Mr. Trump observed during a speech in Mosinee, Wisconsin, on September 9, interrupting his tirade against the election result of 2020. Gesturing toward the stands, he pointed to a dozen impeccably coiffed women, all wearing brightly colored pantsuits, as if they were arriving from a gala.

The “beautiful ladies” waved and blew kisses to the former president, after which Mr. Trump highlighted the consistency of their support by estimating that they must have attended rallies “249 times or something like that “.

“That means they have money,” he said approvingly.

Mr. Trump greeted the ladies of North Carolina at campaign rallies in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, South Carolina and, of course, their home state. But beyond their diligence, these women are special.

Controversial Church

They attend a charismatic evangelical church in Spindale, a small town of 4,238 people in western North Carolina. This church, Word of Faith Fellowship, is controversial because of its sectarian insularity and its treatment of children and adults deemed sinners by church leaders.

As admitted in court proceedings, Word of Faith practices “strong prayer” or blasting prayer (“yelled prayer”). According to ex-worshippers, this ritual takes the form of sessions where the entire congregation surrounds a member and shouts at him to drive the evil from his body. An exaggerated description, Church officials say.

Beginning in 1995, in a television report and in a series of investigations published by the Associated Press, many former members of the Church described physical attacks suffered during these prayers.

In an interview, Matthew Fenner, a former congregant, told AP reporters that he was 19 when he was beaten by five church members in 2013 because he was gay. According to Mr. Fenner, Word of Faith rationalized this brutal treatment which was also inflicted on other people.

Word of Faith has always disputed these allegations. “I want everyone to know that this prayer is not abusive, no one is hit, no one is punched, no one is yelled at. This prayer is full of love and freedom,” Hannah Davies, one of the members who often volunteers at Mr. Trump’s rallies, wrote on the church website.

Church history is not discussed at campaign rallies for the former president, who has never mentioned which church North Carolina women belong to.

They are trusted volunteers within the vanguard that Republican electoral organizers dispatch before each campaign event. They set up chairs in the VIP section, handle media reception and dismantle the VIP section after the gatherings.

Mr. Trump says they attend his campaign rallies without their husbands, but in recent months the gentlemen could be seen handing out passes and guarding VIP areas, all dressed in long-sleeved blue shirts reading ” Team Trump” on the back and their initial and last name printed on their shirt pocket.

The women and their husbands declined to be interviewed for this article.

Church attorney Joshua Farmer emailed a statement from members explaining their motivation as volunteers: “God has spoken to our hearts that President Trump is the person who will lead this country in the right direction. »

Church members did not give a religious reason for their support of Mr. Trump, instead citing his “policies on important issues” like “the economy, immigration, foreign policy and national security.” .

In his statement, Mr. Farmer specifies that his wife, Andrea Farmer, is one of the volunteers. Others include senior church leaders, such as co-founders Jane and Sam Whaley, their daughter Robin Webster, a teacher at the church’s private school, and associate pastor Kim Waites.

A formidable bloc of voters

Republicans say the Church makes up a formidable bloc of voters in Rutherford County. In the 2020 Republican primary, incumbent Rep. Patrick McHenry won every polling place except the one in the district that is home to Word of Faith Church in Spindale. The party believes the rare snub is likely due to McHenry’s support for church closures during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Word of Faith Church initially opposed.

During the 2022 midterm elections, Word of Faith members donated $7,850 to the Trump-backed incumbent in neighboring county, Madison Cawthorn. Mr. Cawthorn was defeated in his primary, but church members had worked hard to distribute his campaign brochures, according to the area’s former state representative, Mike Hager.

Last July, several Word of Faith members hosted a fundraiser for North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor, at the home of Church member David Caulder, a major real estate agent in the region.

CNN recently reported that Mr. Robinson, a staunch opponent of gay rights and abortion under all circumstances, frequented adult video stores in the 1990s and called himself a “black Nazi” on discussion forums, something his campaign has vehemently denied.

Mr. Whaley, a co-founder of the Church, was among the “co-chairs and hosts” listed on the fundraising invitation.

Mr. Trump’s campaign did not respond to questions about Word of Faith members for this article, saying only that the former president and his team “often thank these supporters because their enthusiastic support motivates us all.” .

By contrast, Mr. Trump has been content to describe women in simple terms, as he did at a rally in Columbia, South Carolina, earlier this year: “They look so rich and so beautiful. »

This article was published in the New York Times.

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