Number of Americans Identifying as Evangelicals Grew during the Trump Presidency: Pew
A new study from the Pew Research Center found that more Americans began to identify as “evangelical” during former President Donald Trump’s presidency.
Many critics have said that Trump’s term may have pushed people away from evangelical Christianity, but the new study found that in 2020, about 29 percent of white Americans identified as born-again or evangelical Protestants. In 2016, that number was 25 percent, Fox News reports.
The survey also found that 2 percent of white Americans who had identified as born-again or evangelical Protestants in 2016 dropped the label by 2020.
According to research, 60 percent of self-identified White evangelical voters voted for Trump in both 2016 and 2020. Eighteen percent of those self-identified White evangelicals who did not vote for Trump in 2016 changed their mind in 2020 and voted in favor of a second term for him.
Just nine percent of White evangelical voters who previously voted for him in 2016 chose not to vote for him again in 2020.
Fox News asked Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, what the research showed about the argument that Trump’s presidential term weakened evangelical Christianity.
“I don’t think the numbers support it, do they?” he said.
“I’ve seen Democrats and Republicans in the past give lip service to people of faith, but they really don’t want people of faith around them,” he added. “Trump welcomed people of faith.”
Graham, a long-time supporter of the former president, said Trump was a “great encouragement” who was “willing to fight for our side.”
Graham also added that Christians are still called to pray for President Joe Biden.
“He needs our prayers, and that’s for sure,” he said. “The Bible tells us to pray for those who are in authority. He’s in authority, and we need to pray for him.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Joe Raedle/Staff
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
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