The Daily Beast:
Evangelicals were supposed to hate Donald Trump….
In reality, many top evangelical leaders admire Trump’s chutzpah—and his conservative conversion story.
Mammon has something to do with it:
The Donald J. Trump Foundation has made donations to evangelical groups like Iowa’s The Family Leader ($10,000 in 2013, PDF), Samaritan’s Purse ($10,000 in 2013, PDF) and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ($100,000 in 2012, PDF).
But mostly, it seems, they admire Trump as the embodiment of everything that right-wing evangelicalism represents. Says Steve Scheffler, a Republican National Committeeman and top man of Iowa's Faith and Freedom Coalition: "They’re looking for an outlet to vent their frustrations."
An "outlet," for instance, that praises materialism over spiritualism — an outlet that revels in military firepower — an outlet that preaches that "getting even" (see article) is infinitely better than turning one's cheek.
You know, real "Christian" stuff. Which is why we're not surprised that Trump is sweeping right-wing evangelicals off their feet. Like Josh Duggar, they've never met a hypocrisy they didn't love.
Trump need not pander to these people. In his adopted persona, he is these people.