# Trump Presidency saw people leave church, political scientist says

> An American political scientist has recently argued that the Trump presidency led to more Americans leaving church.

By Jonathan Foye · 30 November 2023 · News / World News

Canonical: https://insights1.uca.org.au/articles/trump-presidency-saw-people-leave-church-political-scientist-says/

An American political scientist has recently argued that the Trump presidency led to more Americans leaving church.

Ryan Burge specialises in the study of religious data.

Drawing on data from Harvard University’s Cooperative Election Study, he said there has been an “exogeneous shock” since 2016.

“For every action there is a reaction,” Mr Burge said.

“Donald Trump is the action. His election caused all these ripple effects in American society, and you can see it in the pews.”

In an interview with ***[Christianity Today](https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/november/trump-effect-church-attendance-pews-polarized.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=article)***, Mr Burge said that left-leaning and moderate Christians had become disenchanted with their churches. He said that the rate of self-identified Democrats giving up on church in their 20s–50s doubled from the end of Barack Obama’s presidency to the end of President Trump’s. At the same time, he said, more Republicans started to identify more as ‘evangelicals’ without attending church.

Like most US Presidents before him, Donald Trump often made reference to his own faith during his presidency, including holding a Bible in front of a church for a photo op, after protestors were forcefully removed. [***Christianity Today* called for Trump to be removed from office**](https://www.insights.uca.org.au/church-leaders-back-editorial-calling-for-trumps-removal/), a call the publication also made for Presidents Nixon and Clinton. President Trump dismissed the editorial, and *Christianity Today* as being a radical, left wing magazine.

The church exodus data comes after findings that **[COVID-19 also accelerated people leaving their churches](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/us-churches-closing-religion-covid-christianity)**.