By Lucy Hubbard

Republicans are embracing Christian nationalism, which is the belief that the United States is a Christian nation and that there is no need for any separation between church and state. 

University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll conducted ahead of the midterm elections found that 61% of Republicans support declaring the United States a Christian nation. 57% of Republicans believe the Constitution would not allow the government to declare the United States a Christian nation. 

In addition to the 61% of Republicans, 17% of Democrats and 36% of Independents polled would also support the United States becoming a Christian nation. 

According to the poll, 62% of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are opposed to declaring the United States a Christian nation. 

According to government and politics professor and the associate director of UMD Critical Issues Poll Stella Rouse, there are a significant number of Republicans who support Christian nationalism despite viewing it as unconstitutional.

“I can sort of speculate but there’s probably a percentage of [Republicans] who interpret that as being like, we have to change the constitution and go through a legal means of changing the constitution,” Rouse said. “There’s probably also a percentage of people who like you know, the constitution be damned, we want the U.S. to be a Christian nation.”

“[Religious freedom] is a large reason why the colonies were founded, to get away from a religious state and religious persecution,” junior public policy and criminology double major Margaret Staudenmaier said. “I am pretty shocked that a U.S. political party that seems to support and respect the Constitution so much would say that they support a Christian state.”

“Something like church and state that is specifically spelled out in our Constitution and in our founding documents,  that can’t be reversed,” sophomore public policy and politics, philosophy and economics double major Abigail Grace added. 

Rouse credits the Trump Administration for bringing these ideals to the forefront of the Republican party. 

“Trump from the very beginning has very purposefully targeted support from white Christian evangelicals,” Rouse said. “He has become sort of this savior for the religious right in ways that he purposefully sought to get.”

While Trump is no longer in office, his Supreme Court appointments gave way to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, signaling to some that more fundamentalist policies promised by Trump could come to fruition. 

“It has become sort of a possibility that [the Supreme Court] could at least take actions that would be reflective of a Christian state,” Staudenmaier said. 

According to Rouse, Christian nationalism has existed on the fringes of the Republican party for decades. 

“The 80s became this time when right wing politics and Evangelicals sort of came together as a potent force,” she said. “And so I think that sparked the opportunity for there to evolve into white Christian nationalism.”

Although Christian nationalism has long thrived on the far right end of the Republican party, more mainstream candidates have begun embracing the sentiment during this election season. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) expressed her support for Christian Nationalism in an interview with Next News Outlet, a conservative news outlet. 

“We need to be the party of nationalism and I’m a Christian, and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists,” Greene said. 

According to the Associated Press, Greene is projected to win the midterm election against Democratic challenger Marcus Flowers by a landslide — securing another two years in the House of Representatives and solidifying her role as the federal government’s spokesperson for Christian nationalism.

While some candidates are embracing Christian nationalism, Rouse says that there are limits on how far the sentiment can spread.

“It’s very unpopular with younger people,” Rouse said. “It’s really something that is for the base of the Republican Party, the older, more conservative base of the party, more religious base of the party.” 

The messaging of Christian nationalists does not appeal to most youth voters — but according to Rouse, it still contributes to a polarized political climate.

“It’s probably only gonna get worse now,” Grace said. “Because people keep having these extreme politics on both sides and we’re not a United States (sic) anymore.” 

Featured image: Chincoteague Hall, the location of the Critical Issues Poll office. Photo courtesy of the University of Maryland.