Evangelical leaders denounce Trump for fueling ‘bigotry’

A group of 94 evangelical leaders has written an open letter condemning Donald Trump for fueling “racial, religious, and gender bigotry.”

{mosads}“We believe the candidacy of Donald J. Trump has given voice to a movement that affirms racist elements in white culture — both explicit and implicit,” reads the letter, circulated Thursday as a petition on Change.org.

The letter was signed by 94 faith leaders who come from a “wide range of denominations, churches, and political orientations.”

As of 9:49 a.m., the petition had been endorsed by 4,400 people. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

The group attacked the Republican presidential nominee for promoting “birtherism” — the conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States — and demonizing people of color, foreigners, immigrants, Muslims and refugees. They also accused him of giving voice to white nationalists.

“Trump has steadily refused to clearly and aggressively confront extremist voices and movements of white supremacy, some of whom now call him their ‘champion,’ and has therefore helped to take the dangerous fringes of white nationalism in America to the mainstream of politics,” the letter reads.

The group also made clear that the letter was not meant as an endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who they said is both “supported and distrusted by a variety of Christian voters.”

“We, undersigned evangelicals, simply will not tolerate the racial, religious, and gender bigotry that Donald Trump has consistently and deliberately fueled, no matter how else we choose to vote or not to vote,” reads the letter.