White evangelicals who went all in on President Donald Trump could pay a steep price once he leaves the political stage, several scholars told CNN.
In an analysis published on Saturday morning, CNN’s John Blake spoke with historians and religion experts about what the movement’s allegiance to Trump may cost it. Their verdicts were stark.
John Fea is an evangelical historian at Messiah University in Pennsylvania and author of “In God We Trust: Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?” He said overturning Roe v. Wade, the movement’s signature victory, has left it adrift.
“It’s like the dog finally caught the bus — evangelicals don’t know what to do,” Fea told CNN. He suggested that evangelicals who want fewer abortions may have to back candidates who support social programs for the poor.
Fea warned the damage to the movement’s credibility will be long-lasting.
“How do you critique the next president if something goes wrong ethically when you’ve been in bed with Trump for 12 years?” he said, predicting it will “take a generation or more to shake that stigma.”
James Morone, a Brown University professor and author of “Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History,” said moral reform movements often trigger fierce counterattacks.
“If one side wins, it’s never permanent,” Morone said. “There are some indications that we are already seeing it.”
Morone pointed to Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who often cites Jesus to argue for health care and higher taxes on the wealthy. He sees Talarico’s campaign as part of a revival of the “Social Gospel,” a Christian tradition focused on economic justice.
“If Talarico wins, everybody is going to be talking about it,” he said.
Robert P. Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, who grew up in White evangelical churches, offered the bleakest view. He told CNN it is “nearly impossible” for him to name “a policy that was too cruel for White evangelicals to support.”
“That’s going to be the ultimate cost of white evangelicals who followed Trump to the end of this authoritarian road,” Jones said. “They will not be able to tell the truth, even if they wanted to, after embracing the lies for so many years.”
Trump’s evangelical allies pushed back. The Rev. Lucas Miles, senior director of Turning Point USA Faith, said in a statement to CNN, “We elected presidents, not a savior.” He credited Trump with advancing religious liberty and appointing “the most pro-life Supreme Court majority in 50 years.”
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said he doesn’t expect many evangelicals to regret their support. “It’s not about personality, it’s about policies,” he said.