Donald Trump recently announced he has appointed former two-time presidential candidate Rick Santorum to head up his newly created Catholic Advisory Group. The group’s creation may signal Trump’s stances on the LGBTQ community, for Santorum has been a notorious opponent of the community.
A statement from the Trump campaign said the group was launched to help represent Trump’s issues and policies regarding Catholic and Christian voters and to “have access to the wise counsel of such leaders.” The 35-member council will be serving as advisors to Trump on pro-life issues, and as Congressman Sean Duffy put it, “Issues and policies of greatest concern to Catholics.” And Duffy took a page out of Trump’s playbook by dissing Hillary Clinton as “openly hostile to those issue of greatest concern to Catholics and will attack the core teachings of the Catholic Church.”
But the council’s creation may provide a clue as for how Trump will be tackling issues regarding the LGBTQ community. The group has not been a major speaking point on the campaign trail, but there have been a few instances which have hinted at Trump’s attitude towards LGBTQ issues. Originally, Trump had been positive about the controversial LGBTQ bathroom issues but quickly made a 180. And his support from North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, who has made jokes about the issues, hasn’t helped his cause. The appointment of Santorum, who is staunchly anti-LGBTQ, may be the most transparent take on the issue.
(Via Donald Trump Campaign & The Washington Blade)
