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Appealing to Evangelicals, Trump Uses Religious Words and References to God at a Higher Rate Than Previous Presidents

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Swansea University

Originally published as "Appealing to Evangelicals, "Trump Uses Religious Words and References to God at a

Higher Rate Than Previous Presidents," The Conversation,  October 13, 2020.

 

Speaking from the hospital while undergoing treatment for COVID-19, Donald Trump faced the camera and touted therapeutics that “look like miracles coming down from God.”

The choice of words shouldn’t come as a surprise. President Trump has used religious language at a higher rate than any president from the last 100 years. I know this because I have analyzed 448 major public addresses by every president from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Trump for their use of both religious terms and explicit references to God. What I found was the current president uses them at much higher rates than any predecessor. Furthermore, his use of religious language has increased during his presidency.