You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack. You can read the transcript here.
The “religious right” has long been a key part of Republican politics. But the role of the faithful in the GOP is shifting, says David Buckley, a political science professor at the University of Louisville and expert on the role of religion in politics. With Roe v. Wade overturned, conservative Catholics and Protestants aren’t as focused on the issue of abortion. And in some ways, they aren’t pushing the party at all. Instead, Trump has united religious conservatives and nonreligious conservatives on issues like opposing transgender rights and diversity and inclusion initiatives. On the Democratic side, even as a growing number of Democratic voters are nonreligious, Buckley says progressive Christians, Jews, and Muslims play an important role in the party and other left-wing causes. Catholic groups and leaders, he argues, are playing an important role in the mobilizations against the administration in Minneapolis and more broadly in defending immigrants across the country.
