After Trump rift at Liberty University, students find unity
LYNCHBURG, Va. — As Liberty University grew from a tiny Baptist college into a touchstone institution for evangelicals, it also became a hub of conservative politics, a revolving door of politicians and their surrogates courting young voters. But this year, the campus was in the spotlight for another reason: a rift caused by Donald Trump’s candidacy that raised questions about the college president’s influence, open discourse, and practicality versus principles in choosing a candidate.
Now, students, faculty and others say they’re coming back together and are optimistic, like evangelicals elsewhere, that a Trump administration will mean progress on some of the religious right’s most important issues after years of culture wars losses.
“It’s a family fight,” said Johnnie Moore, a Liberty alumnus who worked there for 13 years and now runs a consulting company and serves on Trump’s evangelical advisory board. “We disagree on lots of things, but, in the end, most evangelicals in this county are very concerned about religious liberty, and they’re very pro-life. And that’s just what it comes down to.”
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in central Virginia, Liberty was founded in 1971 by evangelist and Moral Majority leader the Rev. Jerry Falwell with just 154 students. It now has a residential enrolment of more than 15,000 students and a massive online education presence, with 94,000 students.