Do Americans believe God plays a role in elections? Here's what a new poll found

Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald on Sep 12, 2025

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Does God play a role in U.S. elections? Most Americans are doubtful, according to new polling.

In the latest Pew Research Center survey, a majority of respondents said they do not believe recent presidential elections were influenced by divine intervention.

That said, sizable minorities view the 2020 and 2024 election outcomes as part of God’s plan, while only a small number think God specifically chose President Donald Trump or former President Joe Biden based on their policies.

The survey was conducted May 5-11 with 8,937 U.S. adults. It has a margin of error of 1.4 percentage points.

Divine intervention?

When asked about the 2020 and 2024 elections, a 49% plurality of respondents said “God doesn’t get involved in U.S. presidential elections.” An additional 14% said they don’t believe in God.

Regarding the 2024 election, 32% said “Trump’s election must be part of God’s overall plan, but doesn’t necessarily mean God approves of Trump’s policies.” Just 4% said “God chose Trump to become president because God approves of Trump’s policies.”

These results were largely the same when it came to the 2020 election. Thirty-four percent said Biden’s win was part of God’s overall plan, and 2% said God specifically chose Biden on account of his platform.

Respondents were also asked about earlier elections, with the results breaking along similar lines. Just 5% said Trump’s victory in 2016 resulted from God choosing him, while 3% said the same about former President Barack Obama’s wins in 2008 and 2012.

Partisan breakdown

When broken down by partisan affiliation, some notable differences emerged, with Republicans being far more likely than Democrats to believe in divine intervention.

When asked about the 2024 election, 8% of Republicans and those who lean Republican said God specifically chose Trump, while 44% said Trump’s victory was part of God’s overarching plan.

Meanwhile, 0% of Democrats and those who lean Democratic said Trump was picked by God, and 22% said the president’s win was part of God’s plan.

The results were largely unchanged when it came to the 2020 election.

Two percent of Republicans and GOP leaners said Biden was chosen by God, while 47% said his election was part of God’s plan. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners these figures stood at 3% and 22%.

Additionally, 80% of Christian respondents said “good Christians” can disagree when it comes to Trump. Meanwhile, 11% said “opposing Trump is essential to being a good Christian,” while 7% said “supporting Trump is essential to being a good Christian.”

Broader context

The poll comes as religion is losing influence across the nation, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center poll, in which a record-high 80% of U.S. adults said “religion’s role in American life is shrinking.”

Still, in recent years, a number of politicians and faith leaders have talked about god’s role in U.S. politics, particularly in the context of Trump’s elections.

During his first term, several high-profile Trump backers indicated the president was hand-picked by God.

In 2019, then-Energy Secretary Rick Perry told Trump he was “the chosen one,” according to The Guardian.

“I said, ‘If you’re a believing Christian, you understand God’s plan for the people who rule and judge over us on this planet and our government,’” he added.

The same year, former White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said God wanted Donald Trump to become president and that’s why he’s there,” according to CNN.

More recently — following the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania — Trump himself has expressed a belief in divine intervention.

“I believe that my life was saved that day in Butler for a very good reason,” he said in a speech to Congress in March. “I was saved by God to make America great again. I believe that.”

Biden, on the other hand, has not credited his 2020 win to divine providence, but he did indicate God could impact his political future.

In a July 5, 2024, ABC News interview, amid widespread calls for him to drop out of the presidential race, Biden said, “If the lord Aamighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race. The lord almighty’s not coming down.”

Less than one month later, he announced he would not seek re-election.