Have any evangelical leaders formally withdrawn support or censured Trump and what were their reasons?
Executive summary
Some evangelical leaders have publicly pulled back from Donald Trump: reporting shows a visible—but limited—trend of pastors and clergy “quietly quitting” MAGA and withholding endorsements, driven by concerns about character, Christian principles and specific policies such as immigration or humanitarian cuts [1] [2] [3]. Large institutions and the broader white evangelical electorate, however, remain strongly pro‑Trump: Pew found about 72% approval among white evangelicals in April 2025, underscoring a split between grassroots voting patterns and a smaller but vocal set of dissenting leaders [4] [1].
1. A trickle of formal withdrawals, a larger current of private distancing
High‑profile, formal public withdrawals of support from major evangelical institutions are not prominent in the available reporting; instead, journalists document individuals and small groups—pastors, former denominational officials and grassroots networks—stepping back or urging fellow believers to reconsider MAGA allegiance [1] [2]. Axios describes a movement of evangelicals “quietly quitting” Trump and MAGA, where leaders advise relational, low‑confrontation tactics rather than broad institutional repudiations [1]. The Guardian frames similar criticism as part of a broader trend of clergy running as Democrats or challenging the party’s fusion with Trumpist politics [2].
2. Reasons given: character, Christian principles, policy and practice
The dissenting evangelical leaders cite multiple reasons: perceived inconsistency between Trump’s behavior and Christian ethics; concern over Christian nationalism; reactions to enforcement tactics and images of federal action on the border; and policy choices such as sharp cuts to foreign aid that faith‑based humanitarian groups oppose [1] [2] [3]. Axios notes that images of federal agents and enforcement actions have jolted some evangelicals who had backed Trump; Newsweek reports organized evangelical objections to the administration’s foreign aid reductions taken to Capitol Hill [1] [3]. The Guardian emphasizes moral and theological objections—leaders arguing that Trump’s conduct is “inconsistent with Christian principles” [2].
3. Institutional response: split between advocacy networks and voter blocs
Umbrella organizations representing many evangelical churches have pressured Congress over humanitarian policy, showing that institutional engagement often targets policy differences rather than personal repudiation of Trump [3]. At the same time, survey data show white evangelicals remain a key Trump constituency: Pew found roughly 72% approval of Trump among white evangelicals in April 2025, indicating that public dissent by religious leaders has not translated into wholesale voter desertion [4].
4. Strategy and tone of dissent: quiet, pastoral, pragmatic
Reporting highlights that many leaders are not campaigning to publicly shame congregants but are using relational strategies—dialogue, “information barters,” and encouragement to reconsider MAGA among family and church communities [1]. Axios describes groups and pastors who coach members to avoid name‑calling, to exchange reading material and to shepherd believers away from partisan identity politics rather than wage a public media war [1].
5. Historical context and intra‑evangelical division
Scholars and commentators place current fractures in a longer arc: evangelicals’ political alignment with the GOP since the 1970s, and the evolving bargain between religious leaders and political power, have produced recurring tensions when leaders judge that political partnerships betray Christian priorities [5] [6]. The Guardian and academic accounts argue that some evangelical leaders now view the relationship with Trump as transactional and risky for the movement’s moral witness [2] [5].
6. Limits of the available reporting and what’s not found
Available sources do not list a long roster of major evangelical denominations formally censuring or rescinding endorsements from Trump; they report individuals, small networks and issue‑based church advocacy [1] [3]. There is no comprehensive catalogue in these sources of high‑profile, denomination‑level withdrawals of endorsement or formal censures comparable to a party expulsion (not found in current reporting).
7. Competing perspectives and political stakes
Sources present competing frames: dissenting leaders argue Trump conflicts with Christian ethics and humanitarian priorities [1] [3] [2]. Countervailing evidence shows robust approval among white evangelical voters and continued institutional ties—appointments to White House faith posts and ongoing advisory relationships—illustrating why many evangelicals keep backing Trump despite vocal critics [4] [7]. That split exposes an implicit agenda on both sides: dissenters stress moral credibility and pastoral care; pro‑Trump leaders emphasize political influence and policy wins.
Summary: reporting in late 2024–2025 documents a notable but limited movement of evangelical leaders withdrawing or softening support for Trump on moral and policy grounds, mainly conducted quietly and pastorally; the broader evangelical electorate and many institutional ties remain largely loyal, keeping the overall alliance intact [1] [4] [3].