Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States and return to the White House. Christian people supported him by nearly two to one, according to a preliminary analysis of exit surveys for the presidential election.

As in the 2020 and 2016 elections, he maintained a strong hold on the support of white evangelical Christians, receiving 81% of their vote, according to NBC's exit poll. Additionally, he increased his lead among Roman Catholic voters from 56 to 41, or 15%, to 15%. However, his support among Jewish voters dropped from 30% in 2020 to 21%.

While encouraging RCs to cast their ballots, the Pope characterized the US decision as a "lesser of two evils." He called both the Democratic Party's support for abortion and the Republican Party's anti-immigration policies "against life."

Trump received 28% of the vote, even among RCs who support abortion in all or most circumstances, a position closer in line with that of Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris. In the last days of his campaign, he characterized his opponent as "destructive to Christianity" and specifically sought the RC vote. J. D. Vance, his running companion, charged Ms. Harris with "prejudice against Catholics."

According to the exit poll analysis, Ms. Harris may have lost some of the support that RC voters had given President Biden. She received the majority of votes from Jews, people who indicated they had no faith, and people who answered "something else" when questioned about their religion. Additionally, she lost support with 2020 Hispanic voters, whose support for Mr. Trump rose by more than ten points. However, she received 86 percent of the vote among Black voters, which was a landslide victory, and 56 percent of Asian ballots.

One of the campaign's main concerns was abortion, and in 10 states, abortion-related legislation was on the ballot separately. The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops applauded the fact that an attempt to repeal the state's six-week abortion restriction in Florida was unsuccessful in reaching the 60 percent threshold required. New York, Maryland, Colorado, and Missouri all enacted legislation to safeguard the right to an abortion.

However, despite polls indicating that voters prioritized issues like democracy and reproductive rights, the economy appeared to be the most pressing issue for most: two-thirds stated that it was in "bad shape," and 45% of respondents to the NBC exit poll stated that their financial situation had deteriorated from four years prior.

Republican organizers in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state that Mr. Trump won, went out of their way to encourage the Amish population to vote. While many people do not cast ballots, those who do are supposed to support Mr. Trump. Less than 3,000 of the approximately 45,000 Amish who are eligible to vote did so in the most recent election.

Social media platform X reported that a large number of community members had cast ballots on Tuesday. Locals on the ground said that the state's Department of Agriculture's raid on a local raw milk farm owned by a community member was the reason for the high turnout. 

Early on Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump, who will become the first elected president with a criminal record, declared victory and promised to "assist our nation in its healing process." "Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason... [to] save our country and to restore America to greatness," he stated, alluding to the assassination attempt earlier this year.

"We are going to fulfill that mission together," he declared. We will accomplish that goal. Although we have a difficult task ahead of us, I will give the work you have given me all of my strength, courage, and willpower.

He urged the nation to come together and put its differences aside, urging "every citizen all across our land to join me in this noble and righteous endeavor."

As votes were cast, prayer vigils were organized in churches all around the United States. Dr. Sean Rowe, the incoming Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, participated in election-night virtual prayers, offering meditation and expressing gratitude for free and fair elections. We Christians must be peacemakers and reconcilers in our communities, both online and offline, now, tomorrow, and in the days to come, he stated.