Harris, Trump go light on religion in ’24 campaign

September 23, 2024

Axios reports that the 2024 election is the first presidential election in half a century in which neither candidate is saying much about their religious beliefs.

The perceived shift comes as the number of Americans who identify as “religiously unaffiliated” has grown to 27%, outpacing Protestant and Evangelical White voters combined.

According to Axios, the practice of presidential candidates speaking out about their religious faith has been a fixture of many campaigns since the 1976 Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford contest.

Since that election, most presidential candidates have at least tried to establish their religious credentials.

Ronald Reagan prayed during his 1980 acceptance speech at the Republican convention. In 1992, Bill Clinton mentioned learning about Jesus in a preschool program. And before the 2000 election, George W. Bush said that Jesus Christ “changed my heart.”

Kamala Harris says she grew up attending a black Baptist church and a Hindu temple but rarely shares details about her religious beliefs.

Donald Trump has been far more outspoken on faith since the failed assassination attempt on his life in July, and has called for a religious revival in America noting that, “Without religion, there’s no real guardrails.”

Photo: top, Credit: Sarah Grillis/Axios