Ruled by the Demons? Exploring the Relationship Between Belief in Demons and Public Attitudes Toward Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

This article examines the political implications of beliefs in supernatural evils, specifically demons or evil spirits, based on a national survey of 1,092 U.S. adults conducted in March 2023. The study finds that stronger belief in demons is significantly associated with more negative views toward President Joe Biden, an effect that remains robust even after controlling for religious and sociodemographic factors and surpasses other religiosity measures in strength. While initial analyses showed that belief in demons correlated with favorable views toward former President Donald Trump, this relationship was explained by Christian nationalism, a separate religious-political ideology. Additionally, the influence of demonic belief on attitudes toward both political figures varies by political party identity, with Republicans showing increased support for Trump and greater hostility toward Biden as their belief in demons strengthens. The findings highlight the role of the spiritual warfare perspective—a worldview dividing the world into good and evil—in shaping contemporary American political attitudes.