NEWS AND OPINION:

A Republican senator from Missouri has offered a prayer for former President Donald Trump. That would be Sen. Josh Hawley, and here is what he has to say:

“Our Lord has his arms around President Trump,” Mr. Hawley said in campaign outreach shared with Inside the Beltway.

“On July 13th, God was watching over President Trump. He is meant for this moment in history, and I thank President Trump for fighting for us every time I see him. He has been put through impeachments, sham trials, a raid of his home, and an attempt on his life,” he continued.

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“While he continues to get attacked and scrutinized by the far Left, I’m proud to stand with him and be a Trump supporter. It’s Josh Hawley, and I’m praying for President Trump,” the senator said.

And here is his straightforward prayer:

“My Prayer for President Trump: God, Thank You for protecting President Trump. We pray that you give him strength, guidance, and perseverance as he continues his campaign. Bless America with Revival! Amen.”

Mr. Hawley closed his outreach message with the following statement:

“I’m proudly a man of strong Faith. Will you join me in praying for President Trump? I’m sure some liberals will attack us for this, but we need to bring Faith back to America. Your support means the world to our conservative movement. Let’s Make America Great Again!”

A MESSAGE OF NOTE

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has offered a suggestion for GOP folks as the presidential election approaches.

“These are not the kind of headlines we were hoping to see with just a few short months to go before Election Day: ’Republicans Trail in Three Senate Races in New Poll’ (Newsweek); ’Blue-state Dem dread turns to elation over Harris: “It’s all changed”’ (Politico); ’Poll: Dead heat between Harris and Trump’ (Fox News),” the committee said in a written message to Republican voters.

“The harsh reality of the situation is the momentum has shifted in favor of the Left, and not enough grassroots conservatives have stepped up to pledge their vote for President Trump and Senate Republicans yet. Unless things start to change right now, our country could be doomed,” the organization said.

“We’re not asking you to do anything crazy here, friend — just please sign the pledge to give the GOP your vote on November 5th,” the committee advised.

Now there’s a thought.

The NRSC, by the way, is chaired by Sen. Steve Daines of Montana. The national organization is solely devoted to electing Republicans to the United States Senate, according to its mission statement.

“We provide invaluable support and assistance to current and prospective Republican U.S. Senate candidates in the areas of budget planning, election law compliance, fundraising, communications tools and messaging, and research and strategy,” the statement said.

Find the committee at nrsc.org

RISING CONFIDENCE

“How would you assess the state of the presidential race today?” Fox News host Maria Bartiromo asked a certain Florida Republican congressman during an on-air exchange Sunday.

“It’s a close race, but I think that Donald Trump is greatly positioned to win,” Rep. Byron Donalds replied without hesitation.

He did not have a very promising prediction for a certain U.S. vice president who is also vying for president, however.

“No. 1, Kamala Harris hasn’t discussed anything of substance to this point. So when she starts going through substance, through policy, like her economic policy, people start to understand that it’s not going to bode well for her,” Mr. Donalds said.

“No. 2, Donald Trump never polled this well in 2016 or in 2020. Kamala Harris is running way behind Hillary Clinton and way behind Joe Biden at the two similar times in those two presidential races. And then, No. 3, Kamala Harris cannot run from Joe Biden,” he continued.

“I know she’s trying to run as a prosecutor, but her current title is vice president of the United States. And she was riding shotgun with Joe Biden, creating one of the worst economies for working families and middle-class families in the history of our country, while leaving our southern border wide open to more than 10 million illegal immigrants,” Mr. Donalds said.

“I believe that Donald Trump is well-positioned to win this race,” he noted.

MONDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

A round of applause, please, for the New York Young Republican Club, a savvy and spirited interest group established in New York City all the way back in 1911.

The club will host an “exclusive pre-release screening” of the forthcoming movie “Reagan” for its membership on Monday. The film is indeed a cinematic journey that traces Ronald Reagan’s life from small-town roots, to Hollywood then on to the nation’s capital as the 40th president.

The film will be released to the general public on Friday and features Dennis Quaid in the role of Reagan. It has already received considerable press coverage.

The Young Republicans will present the production at an undisclosed location.

“Don’t miss this special early screening and be sure to grab some popcorn!” the organization notes in its invitation.

POLL DU JOUR

• 71% of U.S. adults support ending the federal income tax on tips; 75% of Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 73% of independents agree.

• 69% overall support increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour; 95% of Democrats, 50% of Republicans and 64% of independents agree.

• 35% overall support requiring workers to work more than 80 hours over a two-week period to qualify for overtime; 29% of Democrats, 43% of Republicans and 36% of independents agree.

• 35% overall support making it easier to fight efforts to unionize employees; 23% of Democrats, 51% of Republicans and 34% of independents agree.

• 25% overall support removing rules that prohibit 16- and 17-year-olds from working in dangerous jobs; 21% of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 26% of independents agree.

SOURCE: An Ipsos poll of 1,019 U.S. adults conducted online from Aug. 16-18.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin.