A growing rift has emerged between President Donald Trump and one of his most reliable voting blocs: evangelical Christians. At issue is the administration’s decision to cut billions in foreign aid and shut down the agency responsible for distributing it.

For decades, members of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) have partnered with the U.S. government to deliver humanitarian relief abroad. Now, as Politico reports, the group is lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill in an effort to reverse the funding cuts.

Evangelical support was pivotal in Trump’s 2024 victory. Data from Arizona Christian University shows Christians accounted for 74% of the electorate, with 56% voting for Trump. By contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris won 60% of the non-Christian vote. Christians outnumbered non-Christian voters by more than five to two, securing Trump’s return to the White House. According to the Pew Research Center, white evangelical Protestants remain among his most loyal supporters.

The outcome of the NAE’s lobbying campaign will serve as a test of evangelical influence within the Republican Party, which they have long supported.

Aid groups warn that the cuts are already having devastating consequences. “Due to U.S. government cuts, World Vision has been forced to stop emergency humanitarian programs in all regions of the world, over 20 countries, leaving over a million people without emergency assistance,” Margaret Schuler, chief impact officer for World Vision, told Politico.

Earlier this year, Christian humanitarian organizations expressed strong opposition to the administration’s plan to reduce foreign assistance-related grants by 92 percent. The State Department framed the move as a $60 billion cost-saving measure.

Despite criticism, the administration has defended its policy, arguing that the cuts will eliminate “waste and abuse” within USAID.