Trump campaign launches 'Catholics for Trump', doesn't mention Vance is Catholic

The Trump campaign on Wednesday announced the launch of its "Catholics for Trump" coalition, seeking to raise support among the increasingly Republican-leaning Christian branch.

Curiously, the press release made no reference to JD Vance's Catholicism. He is instead, twice mentioned by other quoted figures, but only in apparent reference to his status as Trump's running mate. The coalition website does not appear to mention him at all.

Similar to its prior "Latino Americans for Trump" and "Black Americans for Trump" coalitions, the campaign announced the coalition in a press release featuring quotes from high-profile members of that constituency. 

Among those quoted were Former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich, former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and conservative commentator Michael Knowles. But Vance did not feature among them.

Vance has indicated that his 2019 conversion to Catholicism helped to shape his political views and his relationship with conservative Catholic intellectuals has attracted a modest amount of media attention.

The Trump coalition website originally featured an image of Trump outside of St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. That church is part of the Episcopal Church of the United States and not the Roman Catholic Church. It has since been changed to Trump and former first lady Melania Trump inside the Sistine Chapel.

The Trump campaign did not comment on the omission of Vance, but confirmed the replacement of the photo of St. John's Episcopal Church.