It is interesting to consider why the way Trump has impacted American Christianity might differ depending on where you are in the country. Ryan Burge, a politics and religion writer, recently analyzed the “Trump effect” on religious practices since his election in 2016, specifically looking at the percentage of Americans who never attend church. While the rate of church nonattendance has been increasing for some time, Burge found that among Republicans, the pace of disaffiliation did not change significantly between Obama’s and Trump’s presidencies. However, among Democrats, there were sudden increases in the rate of nonattendance, indicating a “Trump effect.”
For those in mostly Republican areas or congregations, the cultural cost of a vote for Trump may not have been noticeable. However, those in more liberal-leaning areas may have experienced a “Trump effect,” potentially driving them away from Christianity. This divide maps onto debates between pro- and anti-Trump Christian commentators, with the former often being self-conscious outsiders and the latter invested in maintaining a Christian presence in professional or liberal circles.
Therefore, it is not surprising that those in the first group may have had their fears about Trump confirmed and their hostility towards him entrenched, while those in the second group may have felt that the prophecies of doom had been exaggerated.
