Donald Trump and religion
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The religious views of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, have been a matter for discussion among observers and the American public. Trump was raised in his Scottish-born mother's Presbyterian faith, and publicly identified with it for most of his adult life, including during his 2016 presidential campaign.[1][2] However, in October 2020, Trump declared that he no longer identified as Presbyterian and now considered himself a nondenominational Christian.[3] Despite this, through his personal relationships, especially those with his formative mentors, he has been identified with "positive thinking" and charismatic Christianity.[4][5] He attended Marble Collegiate Church under Norman Vincent Peale, whose emphasis on a positive mental attitude shaped Trump.
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Many have questioned the depth of his religious affiliations. A survey during Trump's first presidency (2017–2021) showed that 63% of Americans did not believe he was religious, despite his professed Christian affiliation, and that only 44% of Americans believed that Trump was a Christian.[6] Some of Trump's comments on the Bible or Christian practice have led critical observers to suggest that his knowledge of Christianity is superficial or erroneous, and few biographers have described Trump as deeply or even particularly religious.[7][8] He does not regularly attend church services.
Nevertheless, throughout his political career Trump has made appeals to conservative Christianity and the Christian right, particularly evangelicals, and said in 2016 that he has "great relationships" with Christian ministers.[9] He has had a long association with Paula White-Cain, a charismatic minister whom he has called his "personal pastor" and whose prosperity theology aligns with his outlook.[10] White delivered the invocation prayer at Trump's first inauguration and joined the White House staff in 2019 to work on religious outreach issues.[11] The fusion of political Christianity with Trump's own views has been described as "Christian Trumpism". Despite his outreach to the above, Trump's staunchest Christian support would come from those who identified as Pentecostal and charismatic, and is credited with mainstreaming their theology in politics,[12] having historically been alienated by the mainstream Christian right.
After 2020, Trump increasingly embraced Christian nationalism in rhetoric and imagery, selling Bibles, framing his campaigns as spiritual battles, and creating a federal task force on anti-Christian discrimination. While supporters highlight his alignment with evangelical causes, critics argue that Trump's faith functions more as a political tool than a deeply held spiritual commitment. Since 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed doubt if he will go to Heaven.
Personal beliefs
Trump's parents, Fred and Mary Anne Trump, were parishioners of the First Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, Queens.[13] It was in this church that Trump attended Sunday school and was confirmed into the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1959. The choice of church appears to have been influenced by his mother's Scottish heritage; his father, who was of German descent, had been raised Lutheran. In the 1970s, Trump and his parents began attending Marble Collegiate Church, at that time led by the well-known pastor Norman Vincent Peale, and he maintained ties to that congregation for much of the following 50 years.[1][14][2] Trump has cited Peale's philosophy of Positive Thinking as a major influence and described him as a mentor, an assertion supported by biographers, if in a more general than strictly religious sense.[15] His first marriage, to Ivana Zelníčková in 1977, took place at Marble Collegiate, and was officiated by Peale.[14] In 1988, Trump served as a co-host of Peale's 90th birthday celebrations, hosted at the Waldorf Astoria. Trump would go on to cite Peale's oratorical prowess and clarity of vision as influences.[16] Peale, in turn, described Trump as "one of America's top positive thinkers and doers" and predicted that he would be "the greatest builder of our time."[16] Trump's second marriage, to Marla Maples in 1993, was officiated by Arthur Caliandro, Peale's successor at Marble Collegiate.[17]
Trump was also a consistent viewer of televangelists Jimmy Swaggart, Billy Graham, David Jeremiah,[18] and singer Bill Gaither,[19] watching the former three's televised sermons hourly, often into the late evening.[citation needed] After 2002, Paula White became a close confidante and unofficial pastor to Trump, his family, and his company, as he was interested in her pragmatic and informal approach to faith and devotion.[19][20] She would recommend books to read, pray for him and his family, and counsel his children. Trump trusted White's judgement and discernment concerning the role of God in his personal life. This was because, while devoted to God, White was passionate and charismatic in her preaching, emphasizing purpose in life, overcoming demonic influences, and Christ as an individual who understood individuals' moral flaws.[20] Alongside White, Trump is inclined towards the cultural values of doctrines that are fundamental to Charismatic Christianity, which include prosperity theology, anti-intellectualism, Zionism, and messianism.[21]
In 2015, Trump stated that his favorite book was the Bible, but declined to offer his favorite verse, stating that it's "very personal".[22] In 2016, he said his favorite verse was "An Eye for an Eye".[23] In 2015, during the Family Leadership Summit, Frank Luntz asked Trump if he'd ever asked God for forgiveness; Trump responded, "I'm not sure I have. I just go and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."[24] In a January 2016 speech to evangelicals, Trump referred to Second Corinthians as "Two Corinthians", while speaking at a Liberty University commencement, attracting much press attention and questions about his understanding of Scripture.[8]
He said in 2015 that he still attended Marble Collegiate Church, a congregation of the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ; the church said in a statement to CNN that he "is not an active member"; Peale's son said that he had not seen Trump at the church for "several years".[2] He said that he was a Presbyterian and a Protestant in 2016.[25][9] In October 2020, however, in an interview with the Religion News Service, responding to a question on whether he considered himself an evangelical Christian, Trump stated that he no longer considered himself a Presbyterian and now identified as a non-denominational Christian.[26] Trump mentioned that he had spent the past few years getting to "visit some amazing churches and meet with great faith leaders from around the world", and in particular had "tuned into several virtual church services" during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting that this had contributed to the change in his views.[26]
Most of Trump's biographers, along with other associates, have not described him as especially devout. Timothy O'Brien said that Trump "has never been a spiritually or religiously serious person".[7] Scott Black Johnston, senior pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, described Trump as coming across as someone who had "not spent a lot of time exploring the faith", after meeting with him for a prayer meeting shortly after his victory in 2016.[17] Trump was not known to attend church regularly either before or after becoming president, but did attend holiday services at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, near his Mar-a-Lago residence, where he was married to his third wife, Melania Knauss, in 2005.[17] Terry Eastland of the Washington Examiner said that Trump was "not one to dig much beyond the surface of things religious, much less parse doctrine and guard the deposit of faith".[27] Even Trump's close associate Paula White said that it would be "futile" for Trump to try to publicly discuss his faith. An exception was the 2018 book The Faith of Donald J. Trump, co-authored by David Brody and Scott Lamb, a "spiritual biography" which sought to cast Trump as someone with a deeply, albeit "unarticulated", Christian worldview.[28] The book was widely derided by reviewers as "ridiculous", "mind-bending", and "Christian homeopathy".[29][30]
Ivanka Trump's conversion to Judaism
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Although Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump was raised as a Presbyterian,[31] she converted to Judaism in July 2009,[32][33] after studying with Elie Weinstock from the Modern Orthodox Ramaz School, prior to her marriage to Jared Kushner in a Jewish ceremony.[34] His daughter took the Hebrew name "Yael" (Hebrew: יָעֵל, lit. ''mountain goat' or ibex').[35]
Ivanka and her husband made a pilgrimage to the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a popular prayer site, shortly before Donald Trump's election victory.[32][36] In May 2017, the couple also accompanied Donald Trump on the latter's first official visit to Israel as president. As part of the trip to Israel, Trump became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit the Western Wall.[37]
After 2020
In 2024, Trump began to sell special editions of the King James Version of the Bible that contained copies of the founding documents of the United States, known as the God Bless the U.S.A. Bible.[39][40] Trump has a personal collection of Bibles.[41]
In June 2024, Trump endorsed a law for displaying the Ten Commandments in schools, both in a speech to evangelical Christians on June 22, 2024 and in a post on Truth Social.[42][43]
Following an attempt on his life in Pennsylvania in July 2024, in which he was shot in the ear, and one in Florida two months later, Trump stated: "God has now spared my life not once, but twice".[44]
Trump wove Christian religious imagery into his successful 2024 presidential campaign, characterizing it as a "righteous crusade" against "atheists, globalists and the Marxists". He stated that his aims included restoring the United States "as one nation under God with liberty and justice for all".[45] Trump has stated that the United States is a "nation of believers".[46] Trump's rallies took on the symbols, rhetoric and agenda of Christian nationalism.[47] Trump maintains positive relations with the New Apostolic Reformation, whose figures promote pro-Trump policies and are influential within the Trump administration.[48][49]
On January 21, 2025, the Episcopal bishop Mariann Budde addressed Trump during an inaugural prayer service, asking him to show mercy to immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ community.[50] After the service, Trump disparaged Budde as a "so-called Bishop" and a "radical Left hard line Trump hater",[51][52] and demanded an apology from Budde and the Episcopal Church.[53][54]
Trump has been critical of the persecution of Christians.[55] On February 6, following the National Prayer Breakfast, he signed an executive order to create a task force to "immediately halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the Department of Justice, which was absolutely terrible, the IRS, the FBI — terrible — and other agencies".[56][57] Donald Trump appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the task force and appointed Paula White to direct the White House Faith Office.[55]
After posting an AI-generated image of himself as pope during the 2025 conclave on his official Truth Social account, Trump was criticized by many Catholics, including the New York State Catholic Conference and Matteo Renzi, former Prime Minister of Italy.[38][58] After being asked about the criticism by a reporter, Trump responded, "The Catholics loved it," and claimed that he had nothing to do with the picture and did not know where it came from.[59]
On December 16, 2025, during a White House Hanukkah reception, conservative commentator Mark Levin referred to Donald Trump as the "first Jewish president," citing Trump's strong support for Israel and the Jewish community. Trump responded affirmatively, replying "It's true," and again acknowledged the remark when Levin jokingly added that he was "the first Jewish president to serve two non-consecutive presidencies."[60][61][62]
On April 1, 2026, Trump and his spiritual advisor Paula White-Cain compared him to Jesus Christ. Trump stated, "On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise honoring him as king. They call me king now. Can you believe it?". White-Cain compared Trump's criminal controversies to Christ's persecution, claming "[Trump was] betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that Our Lord and savior showed us." Video of Trump's self-comparison was removed from the White House website.[64][65]
On Easter Day 2026 (April 5), Trump sparked significant controversy by using the phrase "Praise be to Allah" in his expletive-laden post threatening Iran, which was interpreted by critics as mocking Islam or weaponizing religious language during conflicts.[66] The phrase was used while demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and boasting about military actions against Iran. Iran ridiculed his ultimatum, dismissing it as "helpless, nervous and stupid".[67]
A week later, on Orthodox Easter, Trump posted a picture of himself on Truth Social depicted as Jesus, drawing widespread criticism from Evangelicals and Catholics, resulting in Trump deleting the post hours later. Earlier that day Trump had publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV.[68][69][70] Trump later claimed he believed he was depicted as a doctor in the image, and any reporting that he was depicted as Jesus Christ was "fake news".[71]
Heaven
Since the start of his second presidency, Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism if he will go to Heaven. During negotiations to end the Russo-Ukrainian War in August 2025, Trump remarked that "I want to try and get to Heaven, if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole."[72] In a donation drive email from September, Trump asked for donations so he could "get to Heaven."[73] On October 7, 2025, Trump proclaimed that going to Heaven is "very important" to him, explaining that "there's no reason to be good" otherwise.[74] Five days later, in response to a reporter's question on if the enactment of the Gaza peace plan would help him get into Heaven, Trump replied "I don't think there's anything going to get me in Heaven. I think I'm not maybe Heaven-bound ... I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make Heaven, but I've made life a lot better for a lot of people".[75][76]
In February 2026, addressing the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump acknowledged that he previously claimed that he was "never going to make it to Heaven," but walked back his previous remarks as sarcasm.[77] He expressed his belief that he "probably should make it" to Heaven, affirming that he is "not a perfect candidate, but I did a hell of a lot of good for perfect people."[78] Later that month, he reaffirmed that his prior remarks were in jest, stating, "I was just having fun. I hope to make it, but I doubt I will."[79] In March 2026, Trump shared a letter written by Franklin Graham, where Graham acknowledged Trump's doubts and reassured Trump that his "soul is secure and will spend eternity in the presence of God."[80]
Faith as a political tool
Trump's religious rhetoric has often been described as transactional, focusing more on reinforcing his image as a strong leader than on genuine spiritual beliefs.[83] Unlike past U.S. presidents who openly discussed their personal spiritual struggles, Trump has largely avoided theological discussions, instead emphasizing success, power, and dominance. His reluctance to discuss themes of humility, repentance, or service—which are central to Christianity—has led some critics to argue that his faith is more of a political tool than a guiding principle.[84]
His close association with leaders of the Prosperity Gospel movement, such as the televangelist and Trump's spiritual advisor, Paula White, further supports this perspective. The Prosperity Gospel equates wealth and success with divine favor, a message that aligns with Trump's self-presentation as a successful businessman and a strong leader. Many evangelical leaders, including Franklin Graham and Jerry Falwell Jr., have defended Trump's moral failings by arguing that God can use imperfect people for his purposes, a justification that blends religious faith with political pragmatism.[85]