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Trump’s Move to Nondenominational Faith Reflects Growing Trend in Christianity

Elizabeth Delaney

The fact that President-elect Donald Trump believes in God and that God can choose to intervene in the lives of individuals, especially his, had a major spotlight shined on it shortly after he was nearly assassinated back on July 13th. 

While being interviewed by Dr. Phil on Merit Street, Trump was asked, 

“And you believe in God?”

“I do,” Trump responded.

“Do you believe God’s hand was in this that day?”

“I believe so, yeah. I do.”

He was still profoundly amazed that he had been spared from being killed in what he noted were “20 million to 1” odds. He acknowledged that it was a miracle he was still alive.

Trump didn’t talk about his denominational preference that day. He focused more on the idea that God has a purpose for him and believes it’s tied to being America’s next president. Given the fact WND reported that he has won 312 Electoral College votes and Harris only received 226, there may be something to that.  

Information about his denominational preference came out during his first term in office back in 2020. 

“Though I was confirmed at a Presbyterian church as a child, I now consider myself to be a nondenominational Christian,” Trump said in a statement to Religion News Service (RNS).

He also told RNS that he has a collection of Bibles, many of which he said he received from “fans.” He said he keeps all of them “in a very nice place” and that he enjoys it when he receives a Bible. Perhaps this is part of the reason why he chose to endorse a Bible, which includes a copy of America’s founding documents at the back of the Bible. 

Trump didn’t explain his reasons for becoming nondenominational, but he seems to be part of a growing trend of people who are shifting their denominational preferences. The most popular religious category, and the only one that is actually experiencing significant growth, is the religiously unaffiliated, according to PRRI

As of 2023, only about three in four Americans claim a particular faith tradition, which includes a plurality of Americans (67 percent) who claim to be Christian. 

Pew Research Center has been tracking religious switching for about three decades and has found that a significant number of those identifying as Christians have switched over to atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular,” also known as “nones.”

The number of Christians in America is presently about 64 percent. Depending on whether religious switching continues at its present rate, speeds up, or stops altogether, the number of people identifying as Christians will likely decline to between 54 and 35 percent by 2070. 

Earlier in the year, Trump was invited to speak at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, according to CBN News. He is only the 6th former or sitting president to agree to address the NRB. In his speech, he vowed his administration would create a task force that would fight anti-Christian bias in the media and that his administration would protect the cross of Christ.

WATCH: Donald Trump Feeds Off the Belief That God Saved Him from Assassination to "Save The U.S."


Photo Credit: ©RNS/AP Photo/Chris Carlson

Elizabeth Delaney Author HeadshotElizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.