(RNS) — White evangelical Christians have long been seen as President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters. And they often believe everything is part of God’s plan.
It’s little surprise, then, that most (71%) believe God played a role in putting Trump back in the White House after the 2024 election — or that the same number said God’s plan was also for Biden to be president four years earlier.
Few evangelicals, however, believe either candidate’s policies played a role in God’s plans.
Those are among the findings of a new Pew Research Center report about how Americans view the role God plays in elections. The report, released Tuesday (Sept. 9), was based on a May 2025 survey of 8,937 Americans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points.
Overall, the report found that when asked about the results of the 2024 election, nearly half of Americans (49%) said God does not get involved in U.S. presidential politics, while another 14% said they don’t believe in God.
A third (32%) said that Trump’s election was part of God’s plan, but that God didn’t necessarily approve of the former real estate mogul and reality TV star-turned-politician’s policies. Only 4% say God chose Trump because God approves of Trump’s policies.
“4% say God chose Trump for president in 2024 because God approves of his policies; 2% say Biden won in 2020 because God approved his policies” (Graphic courtesy of Pew Research Center)
These perc …