Five percent of “likely” Utah voters believe God wants Donald Trump to be president. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
However, the same new Y2 Analytics polling survey also finds that 28 percent of Utah voters believe that Trump’s election in 2016, and his governance since, must be part of God’s overall plan, but that doesn’t mean necessarily that God approves of Trump’s policies.
Half of all Utah voters say God does not get involved in U.S. presidential elections.
While 13 percent said they don’t believe in God at all. And 3 percent declined to give an answer or said they don’t know.
Y2 asked voters about God’s role in 2016 election of Trump as part of an effort to measure religion and political thinking. (They asked 2016 because the 2020 results are not yet known, so we don’t know/have opinion about any divine intervention in this year’s elections.)
Utah, of course, is the international home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and so is one of the more religious states in the Union. About 60 percent of Utahns say they are members of the LDS faith, although some are more active in their faith than others.
Since the 1970s, most Utah members of the Church of Jesus Christ have also identified themselves as Republicans, although the faith’s leadership doesn’t endorse candidates or political parties and they say faithful Mormons can belong to any political party. The leaders encourage members to be active in politics/civic affairs, including voting.
Here are some interesting demographic breakouts of the new poll:
— 8 percent of Republicans said they believe God chose Trump to be president.
— 41 percent said they believe that Trump is part of God’s overall plan, even if God doesn’t necessarily approve of all of Trump’s policies.
— 43 percent of Republicans say God doesn’t get involved in presidential elections.
— Only 5 percent of Republicans said they don’t believe in God, while 3 percent declined to answer the question.
Political independents and Democrats have very different views of God and presidential politics.
— 3 percent of independents said they believe God wanted Trump to be president.
— 15 percent said God wants Trump to be part of His overall plan, but may not approve of his policies.
— 66 percent said God doesn’t get involved in U.S presidential elections.
— 11 percent of independents don’t believe in God, while 6 percent declined to answer.
Democrats have little doubt about God and Trump:
— Zero percent said God wanted Trump to be president.
— 7 percent said Trump’s presidency is part of God’s plan, although God may not approve of the president’s actions.
— 61 percent of Utah Democrats said God doesn’t get involved in presidential elections.
— And 31 percent — almost a third — said they don’t believe in God at all, while 0 percent declined to answer the question.
Now on the other side of that demographic:
— 8 percent of “very active” Church of Jesus Christ members said they believe God wanted Trump to be president — that is why Trump won the 2016 election.
— 44 percent of active church members said Trump’s presidency must be part of God’s plan, although that doesn’t mean God approves of Trump’s policies.
— 44 percent of active LDS said God doesn’t get involved in presidential elections.
— Zero percent of active church members said they don’t believe in God — so they do believe in God.
— While 1 percent declined to answer the question.
Among those who told Y2 that they belong to some other religion besides the LDS faith:
— 5 percent said God wanted Trump to be president.
— 29 percent said Trump is part of God’s plan, but God may not like all his policies.
— 55 percent said God doesn’t get involved in presidential elections.
— 2 percent said they don’t believe in God (their religion may have some other kind of divine spirit), while 5 percent declined to answer the question.
Y2 piggybacked these questions on to a previous survey conducted over the last two weeks, 642 “likely” votes were surveyed.
