Article snippet: U.S. evangelical and Christian groups are standing behind MORE despite their opposition to his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria, which they see as putting Syrian Christian and religious minorities under threat from Turkish-backed Islamist forces and a potential ISIS resurgence. Evangelicals opposed to Trump's move say the decision is a departure from an otherwise stellar record fulfilling a conservative and religious values agenda. “We thought the troop withdrawal and failure to protect and ensure northeast Syria’s burgeoning self-governance was a religious freedom mistake,” said Travis Weber, the vice president for policy and government affairs at the Family Research Council, a conservative evangelical advocacy group. “We thought it was a departure of President Trump's fantastic record on religious freedom.” The Syria decision was initially met with alarm among influential evangelical leaders, but they have backed sanctions imposed on Turkey as well as the temporary cease-fire negotiated by Vice President Pence and Secretary of State MORE. “My support is behind the president,” the Rev. Franklin Graham, the president of the evangelical humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse and the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, told The Hill. Firm support from religious conservatives has been a surprising hallmark since Trump’s success in the 2016 GOP presidential primary. Evangelicals have stuck with Trump through controversy after controversy... Link to the full article to read more