Former president Donald Trump has once more made his grand re-entry to the White House, steadfast in his belief that divine intervention has played a role during the election. Such a notion, of course, diverged broadly among public opinion, and one cannot deny the evident support Trump received from regular churchgoers. It’s worth pointing out that Trump earned 56% of Catholic votes in the exit polls, starkly contrasting a mere 41% that Vice President Kamala Harris could muster.
In the 2020 election, Biden had managed to secure 52% of Catholics’ support, while Trump trailed behind with 47%. However, Trump consistently maintained strong backing among Protestants and held a majority of followers of other Christian denominations with no less than 62% supporting him compared to a pitiable 37% for Harris. Harris, instead, found support amongst non-Christian votes where she captured 60% compared to Trump’s 33%—an increase from his previous record in 2020 by 4%.
For the Religion News Association, the unfolding 2024 presidential election was the preeminent national religious story for the year. Numerous members of the religious news profession overwhelmingly focused their attention on a critical analysis of both national and global news, with specific interests aligning toward changing trends within religious conservatives.
However, Trump earning favor among religious worshippers, along with gaining traction among Latino and Black male voters, was just one angle of the politically charged plot. Democrats, in contradiction, should have focused on the religiously unaffiliated ‘Nones’ who are increasingly aligning with their party—a sizable and growing congregation already in their corner.
Recent data published by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that an overwhelming 72% of religiously unaffiliated Americans cast their vote in favor of Harris. Yet, key voters continued to refute the Democratic Party’s stance on pervasive cultural and moral issues with their votes. A rather startling survey result showed that the main reason these important ‘swing’ voters shunned Harris was a somewhat misguided perception of her being overly focused on transgender matters over middle-class requirements.
In the backdrop of ever-increasing reports of antisemitic speeches and violence, evidenced by the disquieting shooting incident near a Chicago synagogue, nearly two-thirds of surveyed Jews voiced a growing sense of insecurity in 2024. Heightened tensions amid the Israel-Hamas warfare also contributed towards this unrest. Unsurprisingly, the Democratic party found its support among Jews and Muslims wavering due to these spiraling Middle Eastern conflicts.
The party’s backing of Israel came under immense scrutiny and sparked raging debates, with Muslims firmly criticizing perpetual US support and weapon supplies to Israel. Meanwhile, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry sanctioned a law proposing Ten Commandments be exhibited in public school classes, and education authorities in Oklahoma advocated for the integration of Bible lessons into the school curriculum.
Despite the motion to consider frozen embryos as children by the Alabama Supreme Court, a following backlash by these very conservatives led to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey instituting legislation to protect in-vitro fertilization providers from potential liabilities. Simultaneously, activists showed concerns surrounding escalating incidences of Islamophobia that seemed intertwined with the Gaza war.
In seven states, voters decidedly chose to extend or affirm access to abortions. However, voters in three states upheld restrictions on abortion—the initial states to do so by a public vote since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
On another front, the dwindling United Methodist Church ultimately repealed its position on homosexuality, which it had previously categorized as incompatible with Christian teachings. In a move away from earlier moral debates, they chose to endorse openly LGBTQ+ clergy and freely sanction same-sex marriages.
In the otherwise concrete domain of religion, we observed an intriguing layer of fluidity testing its boundaries within the political sphere. While Kamala Harris, a progressive Baptist linked with a Jewish husband and shaped by Indian religious influences, competed against Trump, a non-denominational Christian enjoying the broad endorsement of evangelicals and having a Catholic spouse. Additionally, in this mix were J.D. Vance, a Hindu’s Catholic convert husband, and Tim Walz, a past Catholic turned Evangelical Lutheran.