The number of Americans who believe there’s a “war on Christmas” continues to climb, according to a new poll conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The new tally shows almost 40% of respondents think politicians are endeavoring to extract the religious ingredients from the holiday season, and the numbers are up among Republicans, Hispanic Americans, and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
A poll in 2013 showed just 29% of Americans held this belief.
“Trump made this his centerpiece claim in the 2020 campaign, and in 2018, he declared victory on the war on Christmas,” Dan Cassino, executive director of the FDU Poll, told The Daily Record. “This is the highest we've ever seen it. The big shift is due in part by Trump supporters.”
The poll also showed that evangelical and “born again” Christians in particular are more susceptible to the belief that politicians are in a battle against the religious parts of the Christmas season.
One key indicator emerged above all others in the poll, according to Cassino: Whether or not respondents voted for Trump in 2020.
“[Trump’s] embrace of the war on Christmas narrative has made it an article of faith for his supporters,” Cassino said.
Of those who cast their vote for the former President, 71% believed a war on Christmas exists, whereas only 14% of those who voted for current President Joe Biden held that belief.
“This has become so ingrained among Republicans and conservatives. They know it’s a real thing that happens,” Cassino said. “That’s part of the divide. For Democrats, this is not even on their radar.”
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