Staff Reports
In a recent national survey conducted by HarrisX for the Deseret News, it was discovered that more than half of Republicans consider former President Donald Trump to be a religious person, placing him ahead of other Republican presidential candidates. Respondents were asked to indicate which political figures they viewed as religious. 53% of Republicans placed Trump at the top of the list, closely followed by former Vice President Mike Pence with 52% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 47%.
'Astonishing' poll finds GOP voters view Trump more a 'person of faith' than his 2024 rivals https://t.co/vpaJgdKlM0
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) September 28, 2023
In contrast, Democrats viewed Vice President Joe Biden as the most religious politician. 12% of Republicans viewed Vice President Kamala Harris as a religious individual, compared to 45% of Democrats.
This is an astonishing poll. Over HALF of #Republicans think #Trump is a "man of faith", while only 1/4 and 1/3 think Biden and Romney are respectively.
For context, Biden and Romney have been regular (if not weekly) churchgoers and famously cite their faith with regularity. pic.twitter.com/JNhrHnRH7S
— Ben Caine (@sugar_caine_) September 27, 2023
Poll: Republicans see Trump as a ‘person of faith’ above all other candidates. Nothing matters, words have no meaning. https://t.co/TEGoprcNVb
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) September 27, 2023
Trump has consistently conveyed his faith and connection to Christian voters, which may surprise some. At a recent Faith and Freedom gala, he emphasized his dedication to fighting for the interests of Christians, alleging that no other president has fought as hard as he has. Although Trump's personal life has been scrutinized by tabloids, his assertion that he prioritizes Christian values has resonated with a significant number of Republican voters.
Additionally, the survey revealed that evangelical and Catholic respondents were more likely to identify Pence as a religiously-motivated political leader. Half of the respondents did not know whether Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were religious or not.
As news of this poll spread, political pundits flooded social media platforms with commentary. Ben Domenech, a contributor for Fox News, termed the poll "astonishing," emphasizing Trump's perception as a religious individual. In contrast, columnist Rod Dreher and former congressman and presidential candidate Joe Walsh criticized the poll's findings, with Dreher characterizing it as "cultish thinking" among Republicans.
This survey sheds light on Republican voters' perceptions of Trump as a religious individual. It also emphasizes the divergent perceptions of faith among Democrats, who view Biden as their preferred religious politician. Ultimately, the issue of religion and its significance in politics remains a subject of debate and discussion.
