If religion plays a role in who Americans pick for president, Presbyterian Donald Trump has a much better chance of being the GOP nominee than Florida’s Jeb Bush or Sen. Marco Rubio, both Catholics.
As a war of words heated up Thursday between Trump and Pope Francis, data from Pew Research Center showed that the Vatican has only had one president elected, John F. Kennedy.
Presbyterians ranked behind Episcopalians in presidents with eight, including former President Ronald Reagan. There were 11 Episcopalian presidents, including George H.W. Bush, FDR and George Washington.
Sen. Ted Cruz is in good company, having four other Baptists elected president including Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
On the Democratic side, the chances are lower of a winner if religion is key.
Hillary Rodham Clinton isn’t very religious, once telling an interviewer that it was like “background music.” She has attended Methodist church. There have been three Methodist presidents.
And if elected, Sen. Bernie Sanders would be the first Jew in the White House.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
