Why Christian voters want more politicians like Donald Trump

[Valin]

NY Post

Salena Zito

April 3, 2021

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But first and foremost, Chan identifies as a Christian — and that extends to every part of her life, including politics. 

“My beliefs go with me in the voting booth,” she said. “Christians want to support the leader who will have a backbone. And who will stand up for all others to protect religious freedom. That protection is why my family came to the United States.” 

For her, that meant a vote for Donald Trump in 2020, and she isn’t alone. White evangelical and conservative Christian voters robustly supported Trump’s reelection last November. Exit numbers show he earned 76 percent of their support — just 5 percentage points less than in 2016, according to exit poll data. 

Trump also carried the Catholic vote by 15 percentage points over Biden, a practicing Catholic, although that support was far less than the 33 point margin he beat Hillary Clinton with in 2016. 

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“Faith is deeply embedded into the history of our country, the spirit of our founding and the soul of our nation,” Trump said at the signing. “We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied or silenced anymore.” 

So, in a post-Trump world, do faith voters like Chan and Doll worry they’ve lost a champion for good? 

Absolutely not, said Tim Meehan, 72, a devout Catholic from Newtown Square, Pa. He said conservatives in the past too often voted for candidates who professed to share their religious beliefs, but then buckled to secular pressures as soon as they got to Washington. 

“Those days are gone and Trump changed that forever,” he said. “While future candidates may not share his unorthodox comportment, they need to share his unwillingness to cave.” 

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