Pew Study: Most Americans Doubt Trump’s Religiousness; Views Vary Widely

Recent data from the Pew Research Center reveals intriguing insights into public perception of former President Donald Trump’s religiosity, with a majority of Americans considering him not very religious. This sentiment comes amidst controversies such as Trump’s posting of an AI-generated image depicting himself akin to Jesus, which he later removed.

According to the findings, about 70% of U.S. adults perceive Trump as “not too” or “not at all” religious. Only a small fraction, 24%, view him as “somewhat” religious, while a mere 5% consider him “very” religious.

The opinions slightly shift among Christians: 64% of Protestants and 71% of Catholics share the view that Trump lacks religiosity. Among white Evangelicals, a vital part of his support base, 51% believe Trump is not very religious.

Political affiliations also play a significant role in these perceptions. While 42% of Republicans think Trump is somewhat religious, this belief is held by only 8% of Democrats.

Some narratives have emerged suggesting that Trump’s brush with an assassination attempt during his campaign led to a renewed interest in faith, with Trump himself pondering whether divine intervention played a role in sparing his life.

Despite skepticism about his personal faith, approximately 22% of Americans feel Trump advocates for religious individuals significantly. This perception is stronger among Republicans at 43% and white Evangelicals at 67%.

Pew Research Associate Chip Rotolo commented, “Even among Trump’s strongest supporters, relatively few people say they think he is very religious. Just 8% of Republicans and 5% of White evangelicals say this is the case.”

Rotolo further observed differences within Catholic demographics: “White Catholics are far more likely than Hispanic Catholics to say Trump stands up at least somewhat for people with religious beliefs like theirs.”

He added, “Hispanic Catholics, in turn, have become more likely to say Trump doesn’t stand up for people with their religious beliefs. [Fifty-five percent] now say he stands up a little or not at all for their religious beliefs, up from 40% when we last asked this question in February 2024.”