WATCH: Donald Trump Blasts ‘Assault on Anything Having to do with Christianity’

The mainstream media scoff at the idea that Christians suffer any kind of persecution in the United States due to their faith. But the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination said he has no doubt. “There’s an assault on anything having to do with Christianity,” he said.

Donald Trump addressed evangelicals’ top two questions – persecution abroad and silencing Christians at home – during an interview Friday on Yellow Hammer Radio. (See the video clip below.)

The Donald discussed his “strong” personal faith in God, as well.

He said secular progressives seem determined to wipe out all vestiges of America’s Christian history, including the use of holidays with Christian names. He revealed that people in the business world had advised him not to use the word “Christmas.”

“I go out of my way to use the word Christmas,” he said. “There’s always a lot of lawsuits” related to the public celebration of religion, “and unfortunately a lot of those lawsuits are won by the other side.”

“I will assault that,” he promised. ‘I will go so strongly against” lawsuits filed by the ACLU, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and numerous homosexual “civil rights” groups.

But the greater threat came from Islamic fundamentalists overseas, Trump told host Cliff Sims.

“There’s real assault on Christianity when you look at what’s going on in Syria and ISIS,” Trump told the host. “Do you know that if you’re a Christian from Syria, you cannot get into the United States? If you’re a Muslim from Syria, it’s one of the easiest places to get into the United States from.”

He said the United States had abandoned Middle Eastern Christians.

“They will not be abandoned by Trump,” he promised. “The ones who should be taken care of are the Christians. They’re being beheaded.”

“We’re going to reverse it Big League,” Trump said.

The clip begins by talking about Trump’s change of heart on abortion, from pro-choice to pro-life. “I evolved on that,” he said.

The host asked about Trump’s personal faith.

“Are you an evangelical?” Sims asked.

“I’m Protestant. I’m Presbyterian to be exact,” Trump responded. “And I grew up in Sunday school, and I did all of the things that you probably did. And I believe very, very strongly. I’m a big believer in the Bible.”

Trump previously said the Bible was his favorite book.

“My minister was Norman Vince Peale,” the noted exponent of “the power of positive thinking,” he continued. “I’m very friendly with Franklin Graham and Billy Graham and support a lot of Christian efforts.”

His comments came on the eve of Ted Cruz’s Rally for Religious Liberty, to be held in Des Moines on Friday night featuring The Newsboys and featuring eight Christians who have suffered for upholding their faith in the workplace.

Will Trump’s courting of the party’s faithful base win him their vote? At least one expert doesn’t think so.

“Evangelicals will most likely not vote to nominate Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee for president in 2016,” American Renewal Project leader David Lane told the Des Moines Register.

“Structurally Donald Trump needs Jesus. Since he has no foundation, he’s likely to implode, is my best guess,” Lane said.

But he’s thankful that Trump is “throwing a monkey wrench into the early coronation of a moderate Republican.”

Trump’s full interview is below. His statement about the assault on Christianity begins at about 5:14: