Republicans get emotional on eve of South Carolina primary

Cruz invokes ‘the body of Christ’ ahead of Saturday vote as Trump appears to be holding commanding lead

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina (AP) — The Republican battle for South Carolina turned deeply personal on the eve of Saturday’s presidential primary, as businessman Donald Trump eyed a delegate sweep and his Republican rivals fought for a southern surprise.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the son of a pastor, evoked “the body of Christ” while fending off allegations of campaign misconduct in a state where most Republicans identify as evangelical Christians.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich opened up about the death of his parents. And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush turned to his mother to help revive his underdog campaign.

Friday marked an emotionally charged day in the campaign, with 50 delegates up for grabs in the primary contest. Candidates were also looking for some badly needed momentum heading into the next phase of the campaign: March 1’s Super Tuesday.

Trump appeared to hold a commanding lead less than 24 hours before voting began in South Carolina. With a big win, the undisputed Republican front-runner could take home most, if not all, of the state’s 50 delegates. Such a victory would mark a particularly painful blow to Cruz, whose focus on Christian values and southern roots should have given him a distinct advantage.

Trump’s campaign continued trying to brush off an extraordinary criticism from Pope Francis the day before. When asked about Trump’s call to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church said those who seek to build walls instead of bridges are “not Christian.” The pope was returning home from a visit to Mexico and the border.

Trump called the Pope’s words “disgraceful” on Thursday but offered a distinctly softer jab on Friday.

“Yesterday, the Pope was great,” Trump told an audience. “They had him convinced that illegal immigration was like a wonderful thing.”

Cruz tried to take advantage of the spat by highlighting his own religious devotion.

“Every minute that you’re not on the phone calling friends and loved ones, spend beseeching God, praying for this country, that this spirit of revival that is sweeping this country continue and grow, and that we awaken the body of Christ,” the Texas senator said.

Meanwhile, his campaign faced new questions about a website it created this week attacking Rubio’s record. The site features a photo of Rubio shaking hands with President Barack Obama. Cruz’s campaign acknowledged that the photo was manufactured using a computer program.

Meanwhile, the lesser-known Kasich continued to highlight his compassionate side. In a television ad broadcast across the state, he spoke of his parents’ deaths at the hands of a drunk driver.

“I was transformed. I discovered my purpose by discovering the Lord,” Kasich says in the ad.

The personal and religious appeals come in a state where religious conservatives typically play an outsized role. In South Carolina’s 2012 Republican primary election, two-thirds of the voters identified themselves as born-again or evangelical Christian.