The evangelical split over Donald Trump

Each week, The World and Everything in It features a “Culture Friday” segment, in which Executive Producer Nick Eicher discusses the latest cultural news with John Stonestreet of the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. This week, Trevin Wax from The Gospel Coalition filled in for Stonestreet. Here is a summary of their conversation.

Sen. Ted Cruz’s victory in the Wisconsin primary Tuesday took a bite out of Donald Trump’s lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and made a convention fight more likely. Within the GOP, Trump’s detractors have adopted the slogan #NeverTrump. They tend to be more engaged in church, worshipping weekly and participating in other church ministries.

“There certainly is something to the idea that white, evangelical voters—or white voters who identify as evangelicals—are split over Donald Trump,” Trevin Wax said. “And that divide is clear regarding church attendance.”

Even though Trump doesn’t hold to many of the same Christian values, Wax said, his supporters who identify as evangelical like the way “he talks tough. He gives the impression that he’s giving it to you straight, or that he’s the one who can bring prosperity back to America,” Wax said. He urged churchgoing evangelicals not to dismiss Trump supporters.

“It’s important to consider our responsibility to people who rarely attend church and who say that they are going to be voting for Donald Trump,” Wax said. “These are people who claim an affiliation with evangelical groups but don’t go to church. That’s part of our mission field, especially in the South.”

Listen to “Culture Friday” on The World and Everything in It.