Can MAGA Survive the Great Evangelical Crack-Up?
Donald Trump's recent inflammatory remarks targeting Pope Leo XIV and religious figures have intensified tensions with evangelical Christians, a key part of his political base. Internal theological divisions between Calvinist and Arminian evangelicals are weakening the once-unified religious support for MAGA. As younger, more Reformed evangelicals rise, disagreements over doctrine and Trump’s perceived irreverence may erode long-standing political alliances.
- ▪Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV, calling him 'weak on crime' and accusing him of supporting the radical left.
- ▪Vice President JD Vance defended Trump’s remarks at a Turning Point USA event, drawing criticism for politicizing religious discourse.
- ▪American evangelicals are increasingly divided between Calvinists (Reformers) and Arminians, with younger leaders favoring Reformed theology and challenging traditional evangelical power structures.
- ▪The older Arminian-dominated evangelical institutions have historically held significant political influence through media and large ministries.
- ▪A growing faction of Reformed evangelicals, including 'TheoBros,' promotes Christian nationalism and strict gender roles, often aligning with MAGA politics but criticizing Trump’s behavior.
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.single.title-split #header-image .wp-caption-text { background: none; };Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on BlueskyEmailComments Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. If Donald Trump is remembered for anything, it may be as a war president: His enemies so far have included migrants, trade, Venezuela, Iran, maybe Cuba—and now religion. His latest full-on assault was against Pope Leo XIV, whom he called “weak on crime” and a “very liberal person” who caters to “the radical left,” accusing the pontiff of wanting Iran to have a nuclear bomb. Trump’s verbal attack on the Holy See followed a series of posts that were equally offensive not just to Catholics, but to the full spectrum of Christians.
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