By a nearly 2-to-1 margin, white evangelicals are more likely than
other Americans to say the terms "morally upstanding" and "honest"
describe Trump at least "fairly well," according to
a new survey from the Pew Research Center.
The
evangelical assessment does come with some reservations. Only about 15%
of white evangelicals, for example, say "morally upstanding" describes
Trump "very well," while another 45% say the term applies to Trump
"fairly well." Two-thirds of U.S. adults as a whole say that
characterization fits him "not too well" or "not at all well."
The
evangelical view of Trump stands out not just by its divergence from
the broader U.S. opinion, but by its apparent disconnect from
conventional standards. Almost two-thirds of white evangelicals see
Trump as at least "somewhat religious," despite his profanity, his
sporadic church attendance, and
his evident unfamiliarity with the Bible.
One explanation for white evangelicals' attachment to Trump is
that they see him as a political ally. The Pew survey found that 63% of
white evangelical Protestants believe their side has been "winning
politically" under the Trump presidency. That's a dramatic turnaround
from 2016, when less than one in four white evangelicals saw themselves
as on the winning side.
The Pew results also show white
evangelical Christians as showing support for a version of
Judeo-Christian nationalism. More than 90% say they want their president
to stand up not only for religious beliefs in general, but for their
religious beliefs in particular, including biblical teaching.
Nine in 10 white evangelicals say they want the Bible to have "at
least some influence" on U.S. laws, according to the Pew findings.
"Two-thirds
of them go a step further," notes Greg Smith, the associate director of
religion research at Pew. "They say that if and when the Bible
conflicts with the will of the American people, the Bible should have
more influence on the laws of the land."
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