Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliott was the only statewide elected office holder to speak during the Faith Over Fear gathering at the Statehouse on June 11. He asserted that defending religious liberty means protecting people of all faiths – not just those who share a particular set of beliefs. As a conservative Republican and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elliott argued that protecting religious liberty is a core American value rooted in the nation’s founding, not a partisan issue.
Elliott’s speech came amid an ongoing dispute over Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s repeated criticism of Islam. Dismissing the lieutenant governor, Elliott told The Indiana Citizen, Beckwith’s “comments were made by somebody who likes attention.” Beckwith responded on social media by accusing Elliott of supporting “radical Islam” and calling him a “GOP Boomer” who was too afraid to confront the issue.
At the Faith Over Fear gathering, the state treasurer told reporters he had shared his concerns with Gov. Mike Braun and argued Beckwith’s views are not held by the broader Republican Party.
“That doesn’t reflect Republicans, that doesn’t reflect the statewide team, and it doesn’t reflect who we are as Hoosiers,” Elliott said.
