Donald Trump defines himself as a non-denominational Christian. Born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, he was raised in the Presbyterian faith of his mother Mary Anne MacLeod, of Scottish origin, and was confirmed in 1959 at the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, in Queens. For most of his public life, he presented himself as Presbyterian, before revising this identification starting in October 2020.
From a Presbyterian heritage to non-denominational Christianity
In a written interview given to Religion News Service in October 2020, Donald Trump declared: “Although I was confirmed in a Presbyterian church when I was a child, I now consider myself a non-denominational Christian.” This evolution has been documented as the first of its kind for an American president since Eisenhower. It is part of a journey marked by the influence of pastor Norman Vincent Peale, whose Marble Collegiate Church in New York he long attended, and more recently by that of evangelical pastor Paula White, whom he appointed to head the White House Faith Office in February 2025.
A displayed and politically mobilized faith
Donald Trump has made Christian faith a central axis of his political communication, particularly with the white evangelical electorate which constitutes one of his main supports. This dimension intensified after the assassination attempt he was targeted with on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, which he called a “miracle” by declaring: “God alone prevented the unthinkable from happening.” He has since multiplied biblical references, launched the commercialization of the “God Bless the USA Bible” and created a federal office dedicated to fighting “anti-Christian discrimination.” The sincerity of this religious commitment is however debated: according to several polls published during his first term, about 63% of Americans did not consider him a truly religious person, and about 40% believed he used religion for political purposes.
Donald Trump is christian. This information has been officially confirmed.
No, Donald Trump does not define himself as evangelical. When questioned on this point by Religion News Service in October 2020, he responded by presenting himself as a "non-denominational Christian" without claiming the evangelical label. That said, he maintains close ties with American evangelical leaders, who constitute an important part of his electorate. His religious advisor Paula White, who has headed the White House Faith Office since February 2025, is herself an evangelical pastor from the charismatic tradition.
The sincerity of Donald Trump's faith is a subject of debate in the United States. According to polls published during his first term (2017-2021), approximately 63% of Americans did not consider him to be a genuinely religious person, and nearly 40% believed he used religion primarily for political purposes. Trump himself has multiplied references to God after the July 2024 assassination attempt, which he called a "miracle" due to divine intervention. His evangelical supporters see him as an authentic believer, while his detractors view it as a communication strategy.