Only 5 Percent of White Evangelicals See Trump as Highly Religious, Despite Broad Support for His Policies

WASHINGTON — A new survey by the Pew Research Center underscores a longstanding paradox in American politics: while white evangelical Christians remain among former President Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters, very few view him as deeply religious.

According to the survey, conducted April 6–12, 2026, among 3,592 U.S. adults, just 5 percent of white evangelicals describe Trump as “very religious.” The figure mirrors national sentiment, where only 5 percent of Americans overall hold the same view.

Instead, a broad majority — about 70 percent nationwide — say Trump is either “not too religious” or “not at all religious,” while 24 percent consider him “somewhat religious.”

A divide between personal faith and political alignment

Among white evangelicals, a key Republican constituency, perceptions are similarly mixed. Roughly 51 percent say Trump is not religious, while 44 percent regard him as somewhat religious.

Yet despite these views, 67 percent of white evangelicals say Trump at least “somewhat” stands up for people who share their religious beliefs — the highest level of agreement among Christian groups surveyed.

The findings highlight a familiar dynamic in modern American politics: for many voters, especially within the Republican coalition, policy priorities appear to outweigh personal religious credentials.

Chip Rotolo, a researcher at Pew, noted that even among Trump’s strongest supporters, relatively few attribute deep personal religiosity to him.

“Even among his core supporters, only a small share see him as very religious,” Rotolo wrote, adding that just 8 percent of Republicans overall share that view.

A pattern that has held over time

The survey’s results are consistent with earlier Pew findings. In 2020, for example, only about 12 percent of white evangelicals described Trump as very religious, even as their political support remained robust.

More recent comparisons show only modest shifts. In February 2024, 68 percent of Americans said Trump was not religious; that figure has edged up slightly to 70 percent.

More notable changes have occurred among other groups. Among Hispanic Catholics, for instance, 80 percent now say Trump is not religious, a significant increase from roughly 60 percent in 2024. A majority in that group also say he does not represent their religious interests.

Policy over piety

For years, analysts have pointed to the central role of policy in sustaining evangelical support for Trump. His positions on issues such as abortion restrictions, religious liberty, and judicial appointments have aligned closely with the priorities of many conservative Christians.

At the same time, Trump has occasionally embraced religious symbolism in public appearances, drawing both support and scrutiny. These gestures, however, have done little to alter broader perceptions of his personal religiosity.

Survey methodology

The survey was conducted using Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel, a nationally representative, probability-based sample. As with its other studies, Pew has made available detailed methodology, questionnaires, and topline results, reflecting its emphasis on transparency. []