The Republican Party has long coveted the evangelical Christian voting bloc. Donald Trump does, especially.

The influence of Christianity has declined in America in recent years, but a Gallup poll published in March showed that 68% of Americans still identify as Christian. In 2020, 71% of white Americans who attended church regularly voted for Trump. In 2016, white evangelicals made up one fifth of all voters − and they overwhelmingly supported Trump over Hillary Clinton (77% to 16%).

According to the Pew Research Center, 85% of white evangelicals favor the GOP in 2024.

In recent years, many evangelical voters have moved from backing a particular candidate or party into Christian nationalism. (Christianity Today defines Christian nationalism as the "belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way.")

But God, Trump and the Republican Party are not synonymous.

On Monday, pastors, including prominent evangelical leader Franklin Graham, rallied for Trump at a Christian outreach event that the former president's campaign called the "11th Hour Faith Leaders Meeting" in Concord, North Carolina.

“This election is about whether we are a secular nation or one nation under God,” said Dr. Ben Carson, faith chairman of the Trump reelection campaign.

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