New Pew Study: Trump's Support Strongest Among Churchgoing White Evangelicals (and in White Catholic Community, Among Regular Churchgoers)

New @FactTank: Among white evangelicals, regular churchgoers remain most supportive of Trump https://t.co/JrTsEXrslI pic.twitter.com/Fo2cLwjlNg

— Greg Smith (@GregSmith_Polls) April 26, 2017

Greg Smith for Pew Research Center on the results of the just-released survey about which he's commenting in the tweet above:

White evangelicals overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election and were a key part of his constituency. As his presidency nears the 100-day mark, surveys conducted since Trump’s inauguration tell a similar story. 

Three-quarters of white evangelical Protestants approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, according to a new analysis of Pew Research Center surveys conducted in February and April. This is nearly twice as high as the president's approval rating with the general public (39%).  

Trump's support from evangelicals is strongest among those who attend church regularly. Eight-in-ten white evangelical Protestants who attend church at least once a month approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, including 67% who strongly approve of his job performance. White evangelical Protestants who attend church more sporadically approve of Trump's job performance at a nearly comparable rate (71%), but they are significantly less likely than churchgoing evangelicals to strongly approve (54%). . . .

But Trump's current strong support from white evangelicals is consistent with their strong backing of him in the general election. In the months before Election Day, about three-quarters (77%) of white evangelical Protestant registered voters who attended church at least once or twice a month (including 78% of those who attended church weekly) said they would vote for Trump over Hillary Clinton. Among evangelicals who attend church less often, about two-thirds (67%) said they intended to cast their ballots for Trump.

And then there's this: 

And among white Catholics – as with white evangelicals – those who attend religious services at least once or twice a month are more approving of Trump's job performance than are white Catholics who attend Mass less often (61% vs. 44%). 

Remember pundits swearing up and down that "real" churchgoing Evangelicals won't/don't support 45? Told. You. So. #YouDontKnowEvangelicals https://t.co/4bWeeFGshG

— Christopher Stroop (@C_Stroop) April 26, 2017

It's because Donald Trump is pro-life. That's why white evangelicals (and churchgoing white Catholics) adore him with an adulation hard to separate from the adulation of people bowing down before idols.

Trump is pro-life. That's why white evangelicals (and churchgoing white Catholics) idolize him. Just ask Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas senator Tom Cotton, Arkansas attorney general Leslie Rutledge, and the honorable justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court bench.

Trump serves the values of life and promotes respect for the lives of everyone. He's promoting a consistent ethic of life centered on respect for the lives of everyone. Take a trip to Arkansas and you'll see that "pro-life" ethic on full display right now, as white evangelical leaders around the state line up to cheer while one person after another is killed by the state in a "killing spree" that shocks the civilized world.