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Donald Trump and religion

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For the religious following of Trump's political movement, see Christian Trumpism.
Donald Trump held a copy of the Bible outside St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square, in June 2020 following a controversial removal of protestors.

The religious views of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, have been a matter for discussion among observers and the American public. Donald Trump was raised in his Scottish-born mother's Presbyterian faith, and publicly identified with it for most of his adult life, including during his 2016 presidential campaign.[1][2] However, in October 2020, Trump declared that he no longer identified as Presbyterian and now considered himself a nondenominational Christian.[3]

However, many have questioned the depth of these religious affiliations. A survey during Trump's first presidency (2017–2021) showed that 63% of Americans did not believe he was religious, despite his professed Christian affiliation, and that only 44% of Americans believed that Trump was a Christian.[4] Some of Trump's comments on the Bible or Christian practice have led critical observers to suggest that his knowledge of Christianity is superficial or erroneous, and few biographers have described Trump as deeply or even particularly religious.[5][6]

Nevertheless, throughout his political career Trump has made appeals to conservative Christianity and the Christian right, particularly evangelicals, and said in 2016 that he has "great relationships" with Christian ministers.[7] He has had a long association with Paula White, an evangelical minister whom he has called his "personal pastor".[8] White delivered the invocation prayer at Trump's first inauguration and joined the White House staff in 2019 to work on religious outreach issues.[9] The fusion of political Christianity with Trump's own views has been described as "Christian Trumpism".

Personal beliefs

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Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Anne Trump, were parishoners of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens.[10] It was in this church that Trump attended Sunday school and was confirmed into the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1959. The choice of church appears to have been influenced by his mother's Scottish heritage; his father, who was of German descent, had been raised Lutheran. In the 1970s, Trump and his parents began attending Marble Collegiate Church, at that time led by the well-known pastor Norman Vincent Peale, and he maintained ties to that congregation for much of the following 50 years.[1][11][2] Trump has cited Peale's philosophy of Positive Thinking as a major influence and described him a mentor, an assertion supported by biographers, if in a more general than strictly religious sense.[12] His first marriage, to Ivana Zelnickova in 1977, took place at Marble Collegiate, and was offciated by Peale.[11] In 1988, Trump served as a co-host of Peale's 90th birthday celebrations, hosted at the Waldorf Astoria. Trump would go on to cite Peale's oratorical prowess and clarity of vision as influences.[13] Peale, in turn, described Trump as "one of America’s top positive thinkers and doers" and predicted that he would be "the greatest builder of our time."[13] Trump's second marriage, to Marla Maples in 1993, was officiated by Arthur Caliandro, Peale's successor at Marble Collegiate.[14]

In 2015, Trump stated that his favorite book was the Bible; he declined to offer his favorite verse of the Bible, stating that it's "very personal".[15] In 2016, he said his favorite verse was "An Eye for an Eye".[16] In 2015, during the Family Leadership Summit Frank Luntz asked Trump whether he ever asked God for forgiveness; Trump responded, "I'm not sure I have. I just go and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."[17] In a January 2016 speech to evangelicals, Trump referred to "Two Corinthians" (rather than Second Corinthians), attracting much press attention and drawing questions to his understanding of Scripture.[6]

He said in 2015 that he still attended Marble Collegiate Church, a congregation of the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ; the church said in a statement to CNN that he "is not an active member"; Peale's son said that he had not seen Trump at the church for "several years".[2] He said that he was a Presbyterian and a Protestant in 2016.[18][7] In October 2020, however, in an interview with the Religion News Service, responding to a question on whether he considered himself an evangelical Christian, Trump stated that he no longer considered himself a Presbyterian and now identified as a non-denominational Christian.[19] Trump mentioned that he had spent the past few years getting to "visit some amazing churches and meet with great faith leaders from around the world", and in particular had "tuned into several virtual church services" during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that this had contributed to the change in his views.[19]

Most of Trump's biographers, along with other associates, have not described him as especially devout. Timothy O'Brien said that Trump "has never been a spiritually or religiously serious person".[5] Scott Black Johnston, senior pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, described Trump as coming across as someone who had "not spent a lot of time exploring the faith", after meeting with him for a prayer meeting shortly after his victory in 2016.[14] Trump was not known to attend church regularly either before or after becoming president, but did attend holiday services at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, near his Mar-a-Lago residence, where he was married to his third wife, Melania Knauss, in 2005.[14] Terry Eastland of the Washington Examiner said that Trump was "not one to dig much beyond the surface of things religious, much less parse doctrine and guard the deposit of faith".[20] Even Trump's close associate Paula White said that it would be "futile" for Trump to try to publicly discuss his faith. An exception was the 2018 book The Faith of Donald J. Trump, co-authored by David Brody and Scott Lamb, a "spiritual biography" which sought to cast Trump as someone with a deeply, albeit "unarticulated", Christian worldview.[21] The book was widely derided by reviewers as "ridiculous", "mind-bending", and "Christian homeopathy".[22][23]

Views on Judaism

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Ivanka Trump (far right) with (from center to right) her father, second stepmother, and husband at the Western Wall at Temple Mount in Jerusalem in May 2017

Although Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump was raised as a Presbyterian,[24] she converted to Orthodox Judaism in July 2009,[25][26] after studying with Elie Weinstock from the Modern Orthodox Ramaz School, prior to her marriage to Jared Kushner in a Jewish ceremony.[27] His daughter took the Hebrew name "Yael" (Hebrew: יָעֵל, lit. ''mountain goat' or ibex').[28]

Ivanka and her husband made a pilgrimage to the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a popular prayer site, shortly before Donald Trump's election victory.[25][29] In May 2017, the couple also accompanied Donald Trump on the latter's first official visit to Israel as president. As part of the trip to Israel, Trump became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit the Western Wall.[30]

After 2020

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In 2024, Trump began to sell special editions of the King James Version of the Bible that contained copies of the founding documents of the United States, known as the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible.[31][32] Trump has a personal collection of Bibles.[33]

Trump has woven Christian religious imagery into his 2024 presidential campaign, characterizing it as a "righteous crusade" against "atheists, globalists and the Marxists". He stated that his aims included restoring the United States "as one nation under God with liberty and justice for all".[34] Trump has stated that the United States is a "nation of believers".[35] Trump's rallies take on the symbols, rhetoric and agenda of Christian nationalism.[36] Trump maintains positive relations with the New Apostolic Reformation, whose figures promote pro-Trump policies and are influential within the Trump administration.[37][38]

On January 21, 2025, the Episcopal bishop Mariann Budde addressed Trump during an inaugural prayer service, asking him to show mercy to immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ community.[39] After the service, Trump disparaged Budde as a "so-called Bishop" and a "radical Left hard line Trump hater",[40][41] and demanded an apology from Budde and the Episcopal Church.[42][43]

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, in which he was shot in the ear, Trump stated: "God has now spared my life not once, but twice".[44]

Trump has been critical of what he sees as a persecution of Christians.[45] On February 6, following the National Prayer Breakfast, he signed an executive order to create a task force to "immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the DOJ, which was absolutely terrible, the IRS, the FBI — terrible — and other agencies".[46][47] Donald Trump appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the task force and appointed Paula White to direct the White House Faith Office.[45]

Faith as a political tool

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Trump’s religious rhetoric has often been described as transactional, focusing more on reinforcing his image as a strong leader than on genuine spiritual beliefs.[48] Unlike past U.S. presidents who openly discussed their personal spiritual struggles, Trump has largely avoided theological discussions, instead emphasizing success, power, and dominance. His reluctance to discuss themes of humility, repentance, or service—central to Christianity—has led some critics to argue that his faith is more of a political tool than a guiding principle.[49]

His close association with leaders of the Prosperity Gospel movement, such as the televangelist Paula White, further supports this perspective. The Prosperity Gospel equates wealth and success with divine favor, a message that aligns with Trump's self-presentation as a successful businessman and a strong leader. Many evangelical leaders, including Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell Jr., have defended Trump's moral failings by arguing that God can use imperfect people for his purposes, a justification that blends religious faith with political pragmatism.[50]

Trump’s faith-based outreach has played a key role in securing evangelical support, despite his personal detachment from many core Christian teachings. His policies and judicial appointments have solidified his status as a champion of evangelical political interests, even as critics argue that his engagement with Christianity is more performative than sincere.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Meyer, Holly (January 18, 2017) [January 17, 2017]. "Donald Trump to be sworn in on Lincoln, family Bibles". The Tennessean. Gannett. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Scott, Eugene (August 28, 2015). "Church says Donald Trump is not an 'active member'". CNN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved September 14, 2022. he is a Presbyterian, and is not an active member of Marble
  3. ^ Jenkins, Jack; Mwaura, Maina (October 24, 2020). "Trump, confirmed a Presbyterian, now identifies as 'non-denominational Christian'". America. Religion News Service. ISSN 0002-7049. OCLC 3612717. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  4. ^ Fahmy, Dalia (March 25, 2020). "Most Americans don't see Trump as religious; fewer than half say they think he's Christian". Pew Research Center. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Friedman, Ann (April 19, 2017). "Op-Ed: Is Trump religious? Who cares?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 31, 2025. "Has Trump found religion in the Oval Office?" a headline asked. The answer from several of Trump's biographers was no. "Donald has never been a spiritually or religiously serious person," Timothy O'Brien, author of "TrumpNation: The Art of Being Donald," told Politico.
  6. ^ a b Taylor, Jessica (January 18, 2016). "Citing 'Two Corinthians,' Trump Struggles To Make The Sale To Evangelicals". NPR. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Engel, Pamela (June 8, 2016). "Trump on God: 'Hopefully I won't have to be asking for much forgiveness'". Business Insider. OCLC 1076392313. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025. As you know, I am Presbyterian and Protestant. I've had great relationships and developed even greater relationships with ministers. We have tremendous support from the clergy.
  8. ^ Peters, Jeremy W.; Dias, Elizabeth (November 2, 2019). "Paula White, Newest White House Aide, Is a Uniquely Trumpian Pastor". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  9. ^ Peters, Jeremy W.; Haberman, Maggie (November 2, 2019) [October 31, 2019]. "Paula White, Trump's Personal Pastor, Joins the White House". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
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  11. ^ a b Barron, James (September 5, 2016). "Overlooked Influences on Donald Trump: A Famous Minister and His Church". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
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  13. ^ a b Schwartzman, Paul (January 21, 2016). "How Trump got religion — and why his legendary minister's son now rejects him". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c Lee, MJ (June 2017). "God and the Don". CNN State. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
  15. ^ Scott, Eugene (August 27, 2015). "Trump says Bible is his favorite book, but declines to share favorite verse". CNN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  16. ^ Mccaskill, Nolan D. (April 14, 2016). "Trump's favorite Bible verse: 'Eye for an eye'". Politico. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  17. ^ Scott, Eugene (July 18, 2015). "Trump believes in God, but hasn't sought forgiveness". CNN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  18. ^ Campbell, Colin (January 23, 2016). "TRUMP: If I'm president, 'Christianity will have power' in the US". Business Insider. OCLC 1076392313. Archived from the original on October 11, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025. And that's pretty sad, because we're Christians. I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian.
  19. ^ a b Jenkins, Jack (November 3, 2020). "Once claiming to be Presbyterian, Trump now says he's a 'nondenominational Christian'". pcusa.org. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Religion News Service. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
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    Baker, Luke; Holland, Steve (May 23, 2017). "In U.S. presidential first, Trump prays at Jerusalem's Western Wall". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
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  32. ^ Kim, Soo Rin; Ibssa, Lalee (March 28, 2024). "Trump endorses line of Bibles -- after selling shoes, NFTs and more". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  33. ^ Moyer, Justin Wm.; Starrs, Jenny (January 19, 2016). "Trump says very curious things about God, church and the Bible". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  34. ^ Vakil, Caroline (June 24, 2023). "Trump paints 2024 campaign as 'righteous crusade' as he rallies evangelicals". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  35. ^ Naylor, Brian (February 8, 2018). "At Prayer Breakfast, Trump Says Faith Is Central To American Life". NPR. Archived from the original on October 9, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  36. ^ Smith, Peter (May 18, 2024). "Jesus is their savior, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 14, 2025. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Petrovic, Phoebe (October 26, 2024). "The Genesis of Christian Nationalism". ProPublica. Produced in partnership with Wisconsin Watch; Illustrations by Nate Sweitzer; Design by Anna Donlan; Art direction by Peter DiCampo. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025. In the United States, the NAR has become a driver for pro-Trump, far-right policies that promote a Christian worldview in government.
  38. ^ Herman, Alice (November 7, 2024). "US Christian right celebrates after prophecy of Trump win comes to pass". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2025. Now that Trump has secured his victory, figures on the Christian far right whose prominence grew during Trump's 2016 presidency will enjoy larger followings and most importantly, close proximity to the highest office in the US. Among these figures are leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation, a movement which rejects secularism and embraces "Christian dominionism", the idea that Christians are tasked by God to rule over society and government.
  39. ^ Kanno-Youngs, Zolan; Balk, Tim; Green, Erica L. (January 21, 2025). "Bishop Asks Trump to 'Have Mercy' on Immigrants and Gay Children". The New York Times. ISSN 1553-8095. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
  40. ^ Lavietes, Matt; Prindiville, Tara (January 22, 2025). "Bishop at inaugural prayer service urges Trump to 'have mercy' on LGBTQ children, immigrants". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  41. ^ Starcevic, Seb (January 22, 2025). "Trump launches savage attack on bishop who asked for 'mercy' for minorities". Politico. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  42. ^ Stanley, Tiffany; Superville, Darlene; Fields, Gary (January 21, 2025). "Trump demands an apology from bishop who asked him to 'have mercy' on LGBTQ+ people and migrants". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  43. ^ Betts, Anna (January 23, 2025). "Bishop who angered Trump with call for mercy says she will not apologize". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  44. ^ McLaughlin, Seth (September 18, 2024). "'God has now spared my life not once, but twice', Trump tells supporters". The Washington Times. ISSN 0732-8494. OCLC 8472624. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
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  46. ^ Madhani, Aamer; Smith, Peter (February 6, 2025). "After prayer breakfast, Trump creates task force to root out 'anti-Christian bias'". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
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  48. ^ "What Is Trump's Religion? A Critical Look at His Faith and Motivations". ecerkva.com. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  49. ^ "Faith, Values, and Leadership: A Christian Reflection on Donald Trump's Presidency". ecerkva.com. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
  50. ^ "A Clash of Leadership: Evaluating the Zelenskyy-Trump Meeting from a Christian Perspective". ecerkva.com. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
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