--- title: Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome At Liberty University description: Trump received a warm welcome when he gave a version of his stump speech at the world's largest Christian University. canonical: https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-18T17:31:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:46:42.074Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome at Liberty University og:description: A warm welcome at evangelical college. og:url: https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4213419dde158731/698879842dce015c5a9e7635/donald-trump-liberty-university.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Donald Trump Delivers Convocation At Liberty University og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome at Liberty University twitter:description: A warm welcome at evangelical college. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4213419dde158731/698879842dce015c5a9e7635/donald-trump-liberty-university.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome at Liberty University > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1ca0ec68-dee5-4899-b50f-1f346ff7a9c7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1ca0ec68-dee5-4899-b50f-1f346ff7a9c7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=1ca0ec68-dee5-4899-b50f-1f346ff7a9c7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 18, 2016 5:31 PM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers the convocation at the Vines Center on the campus of Liberty University Lynchburg, VA on Jan. 18, 2016. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers the convocation at the Vines Center on the campus of Liberty University Lynchburg, VA on Jan. 18, 2016. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jan 18, 2016 5:31 PM UTC It’s become a truism this election season that whatever you expect to happen with Donald Trump, you’re probably wrong. So add this to the list of surprises: On Monday, the thrice-married Republican frontrunner, who [described himself as pro-choice](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/aug/11/carly-fiorina/fiorina-trumps-abortion-flip-flop/) as recently as 2000, traveled to the heart of conservative evangelism only to be greeted as a conquering hero. Trump spoke at the Liberty University convocation on Martin Luther King Day. Liberty is the largest Christian university in the world, and marks the site where evangelical darling Texas Sen. Ted Cruz [launched his campaign for president](http://time.com/3754153/ted-cruz-campaign-launch-liberty-university/), and where even democratic socialist Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders [pled his case](http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-speaks-liberty-university). So one might have expected that Trump, who [declined to name his favorite Bible verse](http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/27/politics/donald-trump-favorite-bible-verses/) on the campaign trail, would have received a perfunctory welcome from the 11,000-seat auditorium at the school. Instead, university president Jerry Falwell Jr. called Trump a “breath of fresh air” in his introduction, comparing the Republican frontrunner to Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr., and Falwell’s own father. “In my opinion, Mr. Trump lives a life of loving and helping others … as Jesus taught in the New Testament,” Falwell said. When Trump took the stage after Falwell’s fawning opening, he dedicated his “record” attendance at the convocation to Martin Luther King Jr. (It was a mandatory event for students). Early on in his speech, Trump tailored his message to the crowd and emphasized the power of Christianity in the country. “We’re going to protect Christianity,” he said, before quoting a Bible passage. “2 Corinthians, right? [2 Corinthians 3:17](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+3%3A17), that’s the whole ballgame. Where the spirit of the lord, right? Where the spirit of the lord is, there is liberty … It is so true.” (When quoting the Bible passage, Trump said “two Corinthians” rather than “Second Corinthians,” the correct way of saying it.) “If you look what’s going on throughout the world … Christianity, it’s under siege,” Trump continued. “I’m Protestant, I’m very proud of it, Presbyterian to be exact, but I’m very proud of it … And we’ve got to protect because bad thing are happening … We don’t band together, maybe? Other religions frankly they’re banding together and they’re using it. If you look at this country, it’s gotta be 70 percent, 75 percent, some people say even more. The power we have, we have to unify. We have to band together, we have to do really in a really large version what they’ve done at Liberty.” [According to Pew Research](http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/), in 2015 about 70% of Americans identified as Christian. Trump then launched in to a pretty standard version of his [usual stump speech](http://time.com/4178881/donald-trump-campaign-speeches/): bashing the Iran nuclear deal, praising the Second Amendment, calling to build a wall along the border, et cetera. He also vowed, “If I’m president you’re going to see Merry Christmas in department stores, believe me.” **Read More:** [_The 5 Essential Elements of a Donald Trump Stump Speech_](http://time.com/4178881/donald-trump-campaign-speeches/) Ted Cruz may have been the big loser of the morning. Trump has made clear at Liberty University and in other speeches that he plans to win Iowa, and to fight for the religious voters who have recently elevated his rival. “I think we could really surprise a lot of people by winning Iowa,” Trump said. “And then we’re just going to clean the table.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome at Liberty University","datePublished":"2016-01-18T17:31:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:46:42.074Z","description":"Trump received a warm welcome when he gave a version of his stump speech at the world's largest Christian University.","url":"https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/","keywords":["Donald Trump","2016 Election"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4213419dde158731/698879842dce015c5a9e7635/donald-trump-liberty-university.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4213419dde158731/698879842dce015c5a9e7635/donald-trump-liberty-university.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Donald Trump Delivers Convocation At Liberty University","caption":"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers the convocation at the Vines Center on the campus of Liberty University Lynchburg, VA on Jan. 18, 2016.","creditText":"Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4184409/donald-trump-liberty-university/","name":"Donald Trump Receives Hero's Welcome at Liberty University"}}]}] ```