Why White evangelicals continue to support Donald Trump

Statistics show Donald Trump has won the affection of White evangelical Protestant voters since his 2016 campaign. We sit down with journalist and son of an evangelical pastor, Tim Alberta, on his new book, “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an age of extremism.” He explains how and why the community got here.


Follow MSNBC Show Blogs

MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House, The ReidOut, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and Alex Wagner who brings her breadth of reporting experience to MSNBC primetime. Watch “Alex Wagner Tonight” Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern.

Connect with MSNBC Online

#MSNBC #Trump #evangelicals

[elenaortega]

"Two people you should never trust: A religious leader who tells you how to vote, and a politician who tells you how to pray"

[lairddougal]

Beware of anyone who says that they are custodians of revealed truth. They’re not. What they are is a danger to civil society and anyone who doesn’t think, look or act like them. I could tolerate them in their studied ignorance, as long as they left me alone. They haven’t. They need to understand that tolerance is a two way street.

[Kevin-xtk]

As an Australian I accept that culturally we are worlds apart, we go by the tall poppy syndrome and scrutinise and judge our politicians pretty harshly where in the U/S you put them on a pedestal what I don’t understand is how a nation that professes to be devout not only accept blatant unmitigated unrepentant liars but excuse and support them .I don’t get it

[mikefobear]

Evangelecals's actions define their character...not their words or belief systems. You are who you support.

[gordlangdon]

Unfortunately, the Electoral College gives disproportionate power to those rural, skewed districts.

[Blue_Dun]

I grew up in the Assembly of God (AG) Church..an evangelical, fundamentalist denomination. Went to a Christian High School and an AG college. I had relatives & friends who were pastors and missionaries. Still do. Following graduate school, as I embarked upon a career, I put my spiritual and financial support behind my church and friends and relatives who became missionaries with the AG Church. I mention all of this so you understand my investment and dedication. However, sometime after 2016, I felt compelled to leave the Evangelical Church as a whole because of it's embracing of Donald Trump. A person who is more UN-like Christ of any president in my lifetime; and I'm 64. This was heartbreaking.

I was filled with joy and even a bit of relief when Robert Van Plaat of The Family Leader spoke up, a little, about Trump's character and is not endorsing him for president in 2024. However...IT WASN'T ENOUGH! When you compare Trump to Jesus and you compare him to Satan who is he most like? It ain't the Jesus I've spent my life trying to know and be like. Their needs to be a much stronger and detailed rebuke by evangelical leaders and pastors of Donald Trump's ethics, morals, behaviors, words, and complete incompetence in relation to skills needed to execute the duties of a US president. Now...before it's too late. I look at it two ways, either Satan has used Trump to completely fool and manipulate the Christians of this country...or God just ran out of locusts. I know, I know, it's probably neither, but I can't help think God has looked disappointingly at the USA, and the deep corruption that has grown in this country has led him to decide we need to be taken down and he had just the man to do it. The all important Christian characteristic of spiritual discernment has been a collective failure among Christians of the the United States. It is seen in the lifting up and the glorifying of this spiritually dead human being by God's own Church. We need to go in a completely different direction, with the wisdom, love and compassion of Christ. These qualities need to be manifested in our church leaders and church leaders need to put their support behind a presidential candidate with such qualities. At least as close to these qualities as we can get; not as far AWAY from them as we can get (ala Donald Trump), which isn't easy. At the very least we need the kind of man who can look in the proverbial mirror and shine the light of awareness on his own faults and mistakes and own them. Trump is utterly incapable of doing this. I told my brother, who was supporting Trump, when Trump got elected in 2016 that he will destroy the Republican party because I know very well what someone with a dangerous degree of clinical narcissism can do to relationships, and with the significant personality disorders that Trump exhibits, it would be destructive to our country. It turned out even worse than I ever imagined. My hope is that more and more evangelicals, both leaders and laymen, will speak loudly about the destructive nature of Donald Trump and our need to move on from him. God's flock has lost its way and only wise leaders of God's house can get us back on the path of wisdom and discernment with a clear and bold message about a man who is leading this flock off of a cliff. In spite of no longer being a member of an evangelical organization, I am praying for their courage and leadership every single day.

[katmartindale]

Trump validated their fears and promised only he could fix them. He justified their hate and told them it was okay to hate because he hated too. He lied to them and they believed because it was what they wanted to be true. They sacrifice the actual principles of Christianity in an effort not to be wrong. Being wrong is bad, sinful and unworthy. And then there is the peer pressure not to question the leadership and the congregation as a whole. Being rebuked or shunned is hard when you are part of a group.

[dennistidwell]

Dad's in the box at the sanctuary, church members arguing for Trump. Religious or not, that's major

[auntiejen]

I'm not a Bible scholar, but I know he's right. As a Christian, I've been trying to understand what I see happening around me. All I could see was "Christians" who seem to have forgotten who they are.

[SteveKitchens-gdyg]

Never trust a religious leader who tells you how to vote, or a politician who tells you how to pray.

[peterkleppin]

Someone should remind these Evangelicals that Jesus said, “love your neighbor.” Trump says one of the following: “Lock up your neighbor, sue your neighbor or destroy your neighbor.” Do you hear the difference??

[gnirolnamlerf]

Let me see. Is this the best nine-minute interview ever presented on TV? Very possibly. Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you, Tim.

[alabamaflip]

Here in Alabama families have been divided over Donald Trump; as in not speaking to each other, not seeing each other over the Holidays, and not being there for each other in an hour of need.
Church can no longer impose morality upon its members if Donald Trump is their chosen one.

[bluepatriot]

This guy is saying EXACTLY what I said in 2016. They never needed Trump to share their beliefs. They only needed him to fight for their beliefs, even if it means fighting immorally and illegally.

[ladfa]

If you are religious, you do not ask questions. They are the perfect sheep for the grifters to exploit. Does not matter if your bulldoze over all ten commandments.

[Semiotichazey]

What an incredibly cogent explanation for so much of what we see.

[dccs]

What we have to understand is that racism is a very powerful and deceitful emotion, it blinds people to rational, logical thought. Though many of these Trump supporters will claim not to be racist, the root cause of blindly following their leader is in deep down racist attitudes and the attempt to eliminate the Obama legacy from the annuals of history. Trump has tapped into this hatred by rallying around the common thread of hate.

[irnNdl]

The craziest part of this, there's more to suggest Trump will lead all these people off a cliff. Morally, financially, as a society, and yet there they are. Stars in their eyes picturing the same cardboard halo over his fat orange face.

[lindataylor]

As a true Christian, I LOVE this man's explanation! This clip is a must-share!!!!

[birdstrikes]

"I love the poorly educated" - Donald