Donald Trump used to brush off questions about religion. This was, after all, the same man who drew laughter at Liberty University for referring to “Two Corinthians” instead of “Second Corinthians.” But now he can’t stop talking about God and faith, and in a way others have noticed is deeply personal.
The change came after two shocking assassination attempts on his life in 2024. On July 13, a gunman opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bullets came within millimeters of shattering his skull with one piercing his left ear. One Trump supporter was killed. In what may be the most iconic photo of American politics, a bloodied Trump defiantly raised his fist and was whisked away. But something shifted in him that day. Something spiritual, say observers.
“It changed something in me, I feel. I feel even stronger,” Trump told a packed room at the National Prayer Breakfast in February. “I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it. Something happened.” He went on to declare that “faith in God has always been the ultimate source of the strength that beats in the hearts of our nation.”
Even Bill Maher, a noted atheist and longtime Trump critic, has noticed the change. After a recent White House dinner, Maher told his HBO audience that Trump was “gracious” and “not fake.” In a segment that went viral, Maher described a man markedly different from his public persona, saying he felt compelled to “report exactly what happened” even if it wasn’t “enough pure Trump hate” for some viewers, according to Forbes.
At his January inauguration, Trump was even more direct: “I was saved by God to make America great again.” He pledged that under his administration, “We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity, safety and peace for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed.”
The White House is leaning into this new spiritual side of the President. They’ve created a Faith Office, headed by Trump’s longtime spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain. According to Fortune, the move signals a dramatic shift in the public understanding of religion in America. Franklin Graham and Pastor Greg Laurie are set to lead a White House worship service on Holy Thursday.
Not everyone’s buying it. Arab American News reports that even as Trump presents himself as a “defender of the Christian faith,” some religious figures are denouncing his policies. Several progressive evangelical leaders are speaking out against his stance on immigration and foreign aid, despite broad support from the American public.
But at the Capitol last week, Trump seemed less interested in politics than personal testimony. “You can’t be happy without religion, without that belief,” he told the crowd, his voice softening. “Let’s bring religion back.” He expanded on this theme at a later event, promising that America will be “admired again, including by people of religion, faith, and goodwill.”
For a celebrity who once listed “The Art of the Deal” as his favorite book after the Bible, it’s a page-turner. The New York Times notes that Trump is now promising to elevate the influence of faith in the public square after years of religious individuals feeling attacked by pop culture, media, and academia. The transformation appears to be resonating beyond his base – when even a skeptic like Bill Maher acknowledges a tangible change in the man, it suggests something far more powerful than political calculation might be at work.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice with research help from Metro Voice’s AI assistant.
