Despite a pending impeachment and a chaotic last few weeks in office, former President Trump finished his administration in the White House still in strong approval with White evangelicals, according to Relevant Magazine.
A recent poll showed that 62 percent of White evangelicals still held a favorable view of Trump. They are the only religious group with a majority still in favor. Meanwhile, White Catholics dropped to 39 percent and 41 percent of White mainline Protestants. Only 19 percent of Christians of color supported Trump in his final days.
White evangelicals have long held Trump in high favor. NPR reported that 80 percent of White evangelicals supported Trump in 2016 and his approval rating has rarely wavered throughout his four years in office.
“We essentially have White evangelicals, somewhere around 8 in 10, supporting the president, standing by their candidate, standing by their man,” said Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute.
According to PRRI, however, Trump left the Oval Office with his lowest approval ratings of his political career at just 31 percent and 67 percent unfavorable.
Newly inaugurated President Joe Biden, on the other hand, has enjoyed moderate favorability ratings with 55 percent of Americans finding him favorable and 43 percent unfavorable. About 89 percent of Democrats have a high view of the new President; 51 percent of independents are in favor while only 16 percent of Republicans look forward to his presidency.
A majority of nonwhite Protestants and religious unaffiliated Americans view Biden favorably, though he lost faith with White mainline Protestants (44%) and White evangelical Protestants (20 percent).
According to USA Today, Trump’s impeachment is still full steam ahead with the Senate. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, plans on sending the impeachment article to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday.
“Make no mistake, a trial will be held in the United States Senate, and there will be a vote whether to convict the president,” Schumer said.
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Mikaela Mathews is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas, TX. She was the editor of a local magazine and a contributing writer for the Galveston Daily News and Spirit Magazine.
