Will the term ‘evangelical’ survive the Trump storm?
By Leonardo De Chirico - Posted at Evangelical Focus:
Published April 22, 2026
The question is not a new one, but it remains highly relevant. What does it mean to be an evangelical today?If you look at the press and social media over the past few weeks, evangelicals are those who compare Trump to Jesus (Paula White) or to Esther (Franklin Graham), who invoke cursing psalms against the Iranian army (Peter Hegseth), who want to strip women of their right to vote (Doug Wilson), who support every Israeli military action in Gaza and Lebanon (Mike Huckabee), and who view the clash between ‘good’ MAGA and ‘evil’ woke in apocalyptic terms (Eric Metaxas).
Public opinion, especially in countries where evangelicals are a minority or where the meaning of the term is more variable (for example in Italy), believes that the term ‘evangelical’ effectively identifies the cultural foundation and religious justification for Trump’s persona and his policies.
Public opinion, especially in countries where evangelicals are a minority or where the meaning of the term is more variable (for example in Italy), believes that the term ‘evangelical’ effectively identifies the cultural foundation and religious justification for Trump’s persona and his policies.
‘Evangelical’ is therefore viewed negatively, casting a sinister light on all those who use it to describe their faith, their churches, and the type of Protestant culture of which they form part.
Many Italian evangelicals have recently had awkward conversations with friends or acquaintances who have asked them indignantly: “Are you the ones who think Trump is like Jesus or who support war?”
Horrified by these connotations, many are wondering whether it would actually be better to abandon the term altogether and reinvent their identity using other terms, such as Christians, disciples of Christ, followers of Jesus, gospel-centred or biblical.
Many Italian evangelicals have recently had awkward conversations with friends or acquaintances who have asked them indignantly: “Are you the ones who think Trump is like Jesus or who support war?”
Horrified by these connotations, many are wondering whether it would actually be better to abandon the term altogether and reinvent their identity using other terms, such as Christians, disciples of Christ, followers of Jesus, gospel-centred or biblical.
