According to a 2023 study, more than one in four Americans (27%) are religiously unaffiliated. Of that group, 5% identify as atheist, 5% as agnostic and 17% as “nothing in particular.”
While an overwhelming majority (72%) of atheists, agnostics and other religiously unaffiliated people voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, a considerable amount (26%) voted for Donald Trump.
Wesley King
That’s more religiously unaffiliated people voting Republican in 2024 than a decade earlier, as documented by Public Religion Research Institute. PRRI found that from 2013 to 2023, the number of “nones” rose in the Democratic Party from 22% to 33%, whereas the “nones” in the Republican Party rose from 10% to 12%. For most, the uptick in the Democratic Party isn’t shocking, but the uptick in the Republican Party is interesting.
Ryan Burge, a political scientist and statistician, suggests more atheists and agnostics may have been part of the party for a while and just haven’t been self-identifying as proudly as left-leaning atheists and agnostics. He suggests some Republicans may function as nonreligious but would be far less likely to use a label like “atheist” or “agnostic.”
Still, who are these “nones?” Where are they hiding? How do they fit in within what is now arguably the most overtly religious iteration of the Republican Party we’ve seen in recent history?
The first thing I’ve gathered about this group is that they are very loosely organized. There are certainly small groups such as “Atheists for Trump” or “Republican Atheists,” but they don’t seem to carry much weight.
Atheists for Trump only has 42 followers on Facebook. They had an image on their page that stated, “Build the wall and build this one too,” with a line being drawn between a church and a government building.
Republican Atheists, despite labeling themselves as “internationally and nationally recognized,” don’t appear to have a strong infrastructure. They only have one president and one board member. Additionally, they only have 21 correspondents across the U.S.
In terms of social media following, each of their accounts has fewer than 1,000 followers. To some, that may seem substantial, but in the grand scheme of conservative followings, it is minuscule.
So where are these “nones” if not organizing?
“I think one can support Christian values without being an actual Christian.”
I found a lot of interesting chatter on Reddit in response to someone asking, “What’s it like being an atheist in the MAGA movement?” Most responses could be summed up as, “I think one can support Christian values without being an actual Christian.”
This idea of cultural Christianity supports what some have called a post-theological version of Christianity. That is, social and cultural commitments to Christianity, rather than dogmatic or doctrinal commitments. Another user posted this: “I think Trump is closer to my beliefs (as an atheist) than he or any other politician will ever admit publicly. He doesn’t act like a Christian and really never did.”
Still, the president and other leaders of the Republican Party aren’t rolling out the welcome mat for this niche group. While these Republican atheists are suggesting they can coexist within the uber-religious Republican Party, Congressman Andy Ogles is tweeting that “Pluralism is a lie” and the president is claiming we are in a “righteous crusade” to stop “the arsonists, the atheists, globalists and the Marxists.”
Even if they hold the same beliefs about social and economic issues, where does that leave nonreligious Republicans?
This fascinating group of people seems to be slowly growing. As the religious landscape in America continues to recede, and yet the Republican Party seems to get more Christian, I am curious how this niche group will hold what semblance of a footing it currently has. I don’t see any coordinated organizing efforts from right-leaning atheists, agnostics and other “nones,” but that is exactly what they are going to need if they ever want to claim a seat at the conservative table.
Wesley King is a 2024 BJC Fellow, an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and a Ph.D. student in public administration and policy.