President Trump’s recent pledge to make America “more religious than it has ever been before” comes amid a significant transformation in the nation’s religious landscape. As Christian identification continues its decades-long decline, the administration’s emphasis on faith—particularly conservative Christianity—represents a striking counterpoint to broader demographic trends.
Recent polling by Pew Research has revealed that the percentage of Americans identifying as Christians has fallen from 78 percent in 2007 to 63 percent in 2024. Perhaps more tellingly for future trends, less than half of young Americans now identify as Christian, according to Newsweek.
Political Religious Divides Deepen
Trump’s religious messaging aligns with his strong support among specific religious demographics. Polling conducted by Pew Research Center in September 2024 showed the president enjoyed overwhelming backing from white evangelical Protestants, with 82 percent supporting him. He also secured majority support from white Catholics (61 percent) and white non-evangelical protestants (58 percent).
By contrast, then-Vice President Kamala Harris received significant majority support from Black protestants (85 percent), Jewish voters (65 percent), Hispanic Catholics (65 percent), agnostics (78 percent), and atheists (85 percent).
These stark religious divides in political support reflect America’s increasingly polarized religious landscape, with faith identity becoming strongly correlated with partisan affiliation.
Faith-Based Politics in a Changing America
Trump’s Easter Sunday message declaring his intention to increase America’s religiosity has raised questions about how such an initiative would function in a nation where traditional religious identification is waning.
“The president’s statement represents a significant departure from the traditional American understanding of government’s role in religious matters,” noted Dr. Amanda Reynolds, constitutional law professor at Georgetown University, in comments to Newsbreak. “While acknowledging religion’s role in American society is common for presidents, actively promoting increased religiosity as a government objective crosses a line that our founders deliberately established.”
Will Wright, host of the Faithful Politics podcast, captured the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s vision by asking on social media: “‘More religious’? Whose religion are we talking about now?”
Evangelical Support vs. Pluralistic Concerns
Franklin Graham, a prominent evangelical Christian leader, has enthusiastically endorsed the administration’s religious focus. “It is such a blessing to have an Administration that recognizes the importance of faith and isn’t afraid to call on the name of Jesus Christ. God bless them!” Graham wrote on social media.
However, leaders from other faith traditions have expressed concern about whether the administration’s vision accommodates America’s religious diversity. Rabbi David Saperstein, former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, observed that “American strength has always come from protecting each person’s right to practice their faith – or no faith – without government interference,” according to The Guardian.
“Religious devotion thrives when it’s freely chosen, not when it’s promoted as a government objective,” Saperstein added.
Institutional Religious Influence
The administration’s emphasis on religion extends beyond rhetoric to institutional structures. In February, Trump established a White House Faith Office (WHFO) and an “anti-Christian bias” taskforce, both staffed primarily with conservative Christian leaders.
Unlike similar offices under Presidents Obama and Biden, which included Muslim and Jewish leaders, Trump’s faith initiatives appear exclusively Christian in composition. The WHFO is headed by Paula White, a televangelist who has made controversial statements about social justice movements and immigration.
As America’s religious demographics continue to evolve toward greater diversity and a larger non-religious population, the administration’s push toward increased religiosity will likely face both enthusiastic support from its base and significant challenges from those advocating for a more pluralistic vision of American religious life.
