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No Clear Evidence Religion Is ‘Bigger and Stronger’ in U.S., Despite Trump Claim
United States🏛️ PoliticsCenteryesterday

No Clear Evidence Religion Is ‘Bigger and Stronger’ in U.S., Despite Trump Claim

President Donald Trump claimed during a June 2026 faith conference that 'religion is back in our country, bigger and stronger than it has been in many, many years.' However, FactCheck.org investigated and found that multiple surveys indicate declining religious affiliation and engagement in the U.S. over the past few years. While some metrics, such as congregation attendance, have shown slight recovery since the pandemic, overall trends suggest a decline in religious participation compared to previous decades. Trump cited various speeches and events where he emphasized growing religious influence, but no specific reports were provided to substantiate these claims. Researchers like Ryan Burge noted that nonreligious identification among Americans reached its lowest level since 2016, based on data from the Cooperative Election Study. Other polls, including those conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, showed modest improvements in church attendance but did not confirm widespread religious resurgence.

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FactCheck.org logoFactCheck.orgIndependentCenteryesterday
No Clear Evidence Religion Is ‘Bigger and Stronger’ in U.S., Despite Trump Claim

President Donald Trump claimed during a June 2026 faith conference that 'religion is back in our country, bigger and stronger than it has been in many, many years.' However, FactCheck.org investigated and found that multiple surveys indicate declining religious affiliation and engagement in the U.S. over the past few years. While some metrics, such as congregation attendance, have shown slight recovery since the pandemic, overall trends suggest a decline in religious participation compared to previous decades. Trump cited various speeches and events where he emphasized growing religious influence, but no specific reports were provided to substantiate these claims. Researchers like Ryan Burge noted that nonreligious identification among Americans reached its lowest level since 2016, based on data from the Cooperative Election Study. Other polls, including those conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, showed modest improvements in church attendance but did not confirm widespread religious resurgence.

Bias read (Center): While the article critiques President Trump's claims about increasing religiosity, it presents balanced evidence from multiple independent studies and researchers. The framing does not overtly favor one ideological perspective over another, nor does it exhibit clear partisan slant. The focus remains

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