because it was politically expedient. He wouldn't have come close to getting elected without the Evangelicals in any of the last 3 elections. But then I think he started "doing" these things, and his brain doesn't hear the part about how he's a vessel, it hears that he is actually God. Everybody striving to touch him as if he's divine. What could possibly be better for that caliber of narcissist?
Remember, guy who has been accused of rape some 25 times, 5 kids with 3 wives, cheated on one of them while pregnant with a pronstar....nothing creepy or culty about any of this.