Will the Republicans nominate a candidate as secular as Trump again?

[Agonized-Statism]

Trump's secularism will probably be the standard going forward. The religious revival of the late 20th century is dying with the Boomers. At its peak, the religious right had influence in both parties (i.e. Jimmy Carter). Their herding into the Republican Party, and their inability to push Huckabee, Santorum, or Cruz to victory in Republican primaries since 2008, should be looked at as a sign of their decline. In 1996, they were strong enough to force Dole to pick a pro-life running mate. In 2016, Trump wasn't forced to pick Pence. In fact, he was his second choice. Christianity might still pop up in the rhetoric of alt-right candidates like Hawley, but it will only be as an extension of white identity politics, an encouragement of "cultural Christianity" to preserve white supremacy rather than Christian values for Christian values' sake.

The religious right was a zombie that bought a few extra years of power off of AIDS and 9/11. They haven't been in sync with the majority of even the Republican Party for a while, and now they're effectively dead. Millennials are showing their age when they still think they're fighting George Bush.

[Agonized-Statism]

In 2016, Trump wasn't forced to pick Pence. In fact, he was his second choice.

Wait, who was his first?

Kasich, according to journalist Robert Draper.