Most Republicans who trust Fox News believe that Christians in the United States endure unequal treatment, a new survey released on Thursday from the Public Religion Research Institute shows.
But when the same group was asked whether Black Americans encounter such bias, barely a third agreed.
When these “Fox News Republicans” were asked whether certain populations face a lot of discrimination, the top answers were Christians (73 per cent) and white people (58 per cent). Much smaller percentages said Black people (36 per cent), Hispanic people (34 per cent) and Asian people (27 per cent) face the same bias.
Fox News Republicans – the 40 per cent of GOP members who trust Fox News most among television news sources – as they are identified by PRRI, are more likely than Americans overall to identify as white evangelical Protestants (36 per cent vs 13 per cent).
The report also notes that among religious groups, Fox News is most trusted by white evangelical Protestants (36 per cent) – nearly twice the percentage of other religious groups.
The numbers differed significantly from Republicans who don’t view Fox News as the most trusted source. Among that group, only a narrow majority said Christians (54 per cent) face a lot of discrimination, slightly less than the number who said the same of white people (56 per cent). Compared to Fox News Republicans, they were far more likely to say Black people (62 per cent), Hispanic people (53 per cent) and Asian people (43 per cent) face a lot of discrimination.
Both groups differ sharply from Americans overall. Only small minorities believe Christians (37 per cent) and white people (32 per cent) are saddled with significant discrimination. Meanwhile, most Americans believe that Black people (75 per cent), Hispanic people (69 per cent) and Asian people (55 per cent) face such obstacles.
Fox News Republicans are also far more likely than other groups to express positive views regarding the religious faith of Trump, who recently switched his religious affiliation from Presbyterian to non-denominational Christian.
More than seven in 10 Fox News Republicans told PRRI that Trump models religious values with his actions and leadership. Less than a quarter of Americans overall said the same.
