The mystery of evangelical Trump support?

A record number of US evangelicals, 81%, voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election. This is noteworthy insofar as that it represents a higher percentage than that earned by Mitt Romney in 2012 (78%), John McCain in 2008 (74%), or even George W. Bush in 2004 (78%) (Smith & Martinez, 2016). Another reason this support is noteworthy is that US evangelicals are often presented as quintessential values voters, placing a priority on social issues, as well ethics and the personal morality of political leaders (Formicola, 2008; Green, Rozell, & Wilcox, 2006; see also Greeley & Hout, 2006, pp. 32–33; Lindsay, 2007, pp. 2–3; Smidt, 2013, pp. 191–192). Given this background, it is striking that such a large majority of evangelicals supported Trump, a candidate whose personal morality appears to fall well short of that traditionally demanded of presidential candidates. Evangelicals’ seemingly incongruous support for Trump stands in stark relief when contrasted to their overwhelming condemnation of Bill Clinton in the context of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Illustrating the latter, a virtual who's who of US evangelical leaders signed the open “Declaration Concerning Religion, Ethics, and the Crisis of the Clinton Presidency” in 1998. The signatories insist on the necessary connection of personal moral integrity and presidential politics. Among other things, they warn against the “manipulation” of religion for political ends, list “truthfulness, integrity, respect for the law, respect for the dignity of others, adherence to the constitutional process, and a willingness to avoid the use of power” as among the moral qualities “central to the survival of our political system,” and insist that there exists “a reasonable threshold of behavior beneath which our public leaders should not fall.” Finally, and perhaps most significantly, they state that such moral failings cannot be countenanced in the name of a particular political agenda. In a similar vein, the influential evangelical leader James Dobson, in a 1998 support letter, dismisses the view that “a person who lacks honesty and moral integrity is qualified to lead a nation and the world” as “foolish” (Dobson, 1998). He also dismisses support for an immoral political leader in the name of political or economic concerns as “rationalizing,” masking a fundamental “disregard for morality.” Returning to the context of the 2016 presidential election, many influential evangelical leaders have support