Catholic voters gave President-elect Donald Trump support that was crucial to his election, according to an editorial in Crux.
Turnout from evangelicals in support of Trump was high. Christianity Today reported that he won with a majority of those who who self-identified as Catholics, 52 percent to his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's 45 percent.
"Whether religious voters were embracing Trump or blocking Clinton, there seems to be a clear political message in the result, which is that people of faith cannot be ignored, disparaged, or taken for granted," the editorial said.
The Crux editorial noted that President Barack Obama's administration had pursued court battles with faith-based businesses, and policies on sterilization procedures and drugs that could cause abortions.
Another possible detriment was a WikiLeaks release of emails from Clinton's campaign that criticized Catholicism and evangelicals, according to NPR.
Her choice of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as vice president, who appeared to run counter to his Catholic beliefs with his positions on abortion, the death penalty, and marriage, did not help her case, according to the editorial.
Clinton's beliefs on abortion are at odds with eight in 10 Americans, according to Knights of Columbus polls, while Clinton's objection to the Hyde Amendment — which bars federal funds from paying for abortions — is only shared by one out of three Americans, according to Crux.
The Clinton campaign's "perceived hostility to religious belief" led to her defeat, but it pointed out the ability of religious voters to influence elections.
"It's safe to say that once again, rumors of the demise of religion as a voting issue have been greatly exaggerated," the editorial said.
White evangelicals turned out overwhelmingly for Trump, according to The Washington Post.
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