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Which Christian denominations have been most critical of Donald Trump's presidency?
Executive summary
Multiple Christian bodies and traditions—notably Catholic bishops, many mainline Protestant denominations (including Methodists and Presbyterians), and a coalition of moderate and progressive Protestant leaders—have publicly criticized aspects of Donald Trump’s presidency, especially on immigration, Christian nationalism, and his “anti‑Christian bias” task force [1] [2] [3]. At the same time, white evangelical Protestants remain among Trump’s strongest religious backers, a division underscored by recent polling and high‑profile intra‑faith disputes [4] [5].
1. Catholic hierarchy: public rebukes over immigration and policy tone
Senior Catholic leaders have issued unmistakable rebukes of Trump administration immigration policies and rhetoric; the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a “special message” criticizing the administration’s harsh immigration stance, and prominent Catholic institutions and commentators have faulted Trump’s approach as incompatible with Christian obligations to the poor and migrants [1] [3].
2. Mainline Protestant resistance: Methodists, Presbyterians and beyond
Mainline Protestant bodies and leaders—including Methodists and Presbyterians—have joined coalitions opposing what they describe as Christian nationalism and policy moves that marginalize migrants and vulnerable people; reporting highlights organized, cross‑denominational pushback that frames some Trump initiatives as theological as well as political threats [2] [5].
3. Progressive and moderate evangelical voices: a bridge to opposition
Not all evangelicals support Trump. Moderate and progressive clergy and networks—people like Doug Pagitt’s Vote Common Good and pastors vocal about immigrant rights—have mobilized against Trump’s immigration raids and the use of religious rhetoric to justify exclusionary policies, arguing faith calls for care of strangers rather than punitive enforcement [5] [6].
4. Organized Christian coalitions condemning Christian nationalism
A visible coalition, represented in reporting by groups described as “Christians against Christian Nationalism,” explicitly frames Trump‑aligned projects (including Project 2025) as overlapping with Christian‑nationalist priorities and has mounted theological critiques of those agendas across Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and other communities [2].
5. Institutional denunciations of specific White House initiatives
Christian leaders from a range of traditions formally denounced the White House task force on “anti‑Christian bias,” arguing it appears to protect a politically preferred subset of Christianity while targeting groups that historically aid immigrants and refugees—examples named include objections that the administration singled out the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Lutheran Family Services [3] [7].
6. Counterpoint: white evangelical support remains strong
Pew polling shows white evangelicals continue to be among Trump’s most loyal religious constituencies, a reality that complicates any simple narrative of uniform Christian opposition; majorities of other religious groups—Black Protestants, Hispanic Catholics and the religiously unaffiliated—tend to disapprove, highlighting intra‑religious polarization [4].
7. Grassroots and petition campaigns: popular Christian opposition
Beyond institutional statements, activist Christian organizations and online petitions have drawn thousands of signatures rebuking Trump’s rhetoric and policy direction—examples include Faithful America’s petition framing Project 2025 as a threat to multicultural democracy and urging Christians not to support Trump [8].
8. Media and opinion framing: how the dispute is portrayed
Opinion writers and major outlets (New York Times, Guardian, Axios, Newsweek, PBS) present competing frames: some emphasize moral and theological rebukes by Catholic and mainline leaders, others note the persistence of evangelical allegiance and the administration’s deliberate outreach to conservative Christian constituencies, making the religious landscape deeply contested in public commentary [1] [6] [5] [9].
9. Limits of the available reporting and what’s not in the sources
Available sources document criticism from Catholic bishops, mainline Protestants, progressive clergy, and organized coalitions, but they do not provide an exhaustive list ranking every denomination by intensity of criticism; detailed denominational votes, internal synod resolutions beyond cited examples, or comprehensive membership‑level breakdowns are not found in the current reporting (not found in current reporting).
10. Bottom line for readers weighing the question
If you ask which Christian traditions have been most critical of Trump, current reporting points to the Catholic hierarchy, mainline Protestant denominations (Methodists, Presbyterians and similar bodies), and organized progressive and moderate Christian coalitions as the most visible institutional critics; yet the religious picture is polarized, because white evangelical Protestants remain a core base of vocal support [1] [2] [4].