Where Things Stand: Most Republicans Are Down To Declare US A Christian Nation

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WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, USA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2022: Candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania and United States Senator Doug Mastriano delivers remarks at a Save America rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on September... WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, USA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2022: Candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania and United States Senator Doug Mastriano delivers remarks at a Save America rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on September 3, 2022. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) MORE LESS

September 21, 2022 6:53 p.m.

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Politico just put out data from a new poll it conducted a few months back and the results are worth flagging: While most Republicans believe that the idea of Christian nationalism is unconstitutional, most also support declaring the U.S. a Christian nation.

According to the findings, about 57 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of Americans overall, believe the Constitution would not allow America to be declared a “Christian nation.” Respondents were then asked “Would You Favor or Oppose the United States Officially Declaring the United States to be a Christian Nation?”

Sixty-one percent of Republicans were in favor of just that, with 78 percent of Republicans who identify as an evangelical Christian backing the idea. Support was even higher among older Republicans. Race, and perceived grievances, played a role as well, per Politico:

Our polling found that white grievance is highly correlated with support for a Christian nation. White respondents who say that members of their race have faced more discrimination than others are most likely to embrace a Christian America. Roughly 59 percent of all Americans who say white people have been discriminated against a lot more in the past five years favor declaring the U.S. a Christian nation, compared to 38 percent of all Americans. White Republicans who said white people have been more discriminated against also favored a Christian nation (65 percent) by a slightly larger percentage than all Republicans (63 percent).

You can read more on Politico’s polling here.

The results are not entirely surprising, especially in terms of demographic data. But it supports anecdotal evidence we’ve seen about swelling support for the ideology, especially among far-right Republicans and specifically among Trump supporters. The Christian nationalist symbolism at the scene of the Capitol insurrection may have represented a lot more than just the belief system of his most loyal base of supporters.