Trump to Liberty U. Students: 'We're Going to Protect Christianity'

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump brought his campaign message to Liberty University Monday.

Right off the bat, the business mogul tried to relate to his Christian audience, even if it didn't come out exactly right.

"Two Corinthians 3:17, that's the whole ball game! The verse, 'Now the Lord is that spirit. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," Trump said.

And he didn't stop with scripture.

"We're going to protect Christianity and I can say that. We don't have to be politically correct," Trump declared.

Despite a lack of evangelical-type accomplishments, some students here seem to like Trump's outsider feel.

"He's kind of a hothead. He says what he wants to say. He's politically incorrect, but I think that's sometimes what we need," Darian Graves, a Liberty University student, remarked.

In the competition over this crucial voting bloc, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is trying to paint Trump as a guy who doesn't have much in common with evangelicals. Trump told CBN News, however, why he should be the last man standing.

"Why do you believe you stand out over Cruz as it relates to the evangelical vote?" CBN News' David Brody asked.

"Well, number one, and there are lots of ways of looking at it, but beyond all else, Ronald Reagan wasn't a totally, he didn't read the Bible every day, seven days a week. But, he was a great president. And he was a great president for Christianity. And, frankly, I would say that I would be a far better leader," Trump replied.

He added that he's a good guy, too, despite what you read in the headlines.

"I think I'm a much nicer person than the public understands. I think in terms of that I'm a much nicer person. I think I have a big heart," Trump stated.

And he says that heart extends to Israel.

"I will be very good to Israel," Trump vowed. "So I will back Israel. We have a president that I think is the worst thing that has ever happened to Israel."

And that deal with Iran?

"I think it's a tremendous liability to Israel. I think it's going to actually lead to nuclear proliferation and it's going to cause a lot of problems," Trump predicted.

Trump will need a sizeable chunk of evangelicals to secure the Republican nomination. He'll get another opportunity next month when he talks to students and sits down with CBN founder Pat Robertson at Regent University.