RMC Briefing: The place of religion in the US presidential election

Religion Media Centre Podcast

As the US presidential election campaign draws to a close, we use this opportunity to speak to faith leaders and election watchers to assess the importance of religion in the election campaign.

Traditionally, white evangelicals have supported Donald Trump and this briefing made clear that they appear to have largely remained loyal. The majority of Catholics also support the Republican party. But Kamala Harris is courting the Black Christian vote and makes no secret of her commitment to the Christian faith.

Moral issues are centre stage, whether personal on Trump's character, crimes or moral track record, or public morals such as respect for immigrants or a woman's right to choose. The Muslim vote has become increasingly important, said to be pivotal, in Georgia and other swing states. It swayed from Republican to Democrat after the Iraq war, but it may re-align again this time as Muslims are said to be "heartbroken" at the Biden administration's response to the war in Gaza and so their votes are more difficult to predict. Hosted by Rosie Dawson, our panel included:

• Dr Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute
• Dr Shyam Sriram, Department of Political Science at Canisius University in Buffalo, New York
• Dr Galen Carey, National Association of Evangelicals vice president of government relations
• Robert McCaw, Government Affairs Department Director At the Council of America Islamic Relations
• Nazia Khanzada, Communications Manager, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Georgia
• Jennifer Ewing, Republicans Overseas UK
• Kristin Wolfe, Democrats Abroad in the UK

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