Even as he grew famous for his martial arts prowess and adrenaline-pumping movies, Chuck Norris stayed true to his Christian faith and conservative political values for decades in a deeply liberal Hollywood.
Norris, who died Thursday, was the rare Christian conservative in Hollywood. He advocated for Republican politicians, supported gun rights, pushed for the Bible to be brought back into schools, and published a regular column at conservative website WorldNetDaily.
A devout Baptist, Norris spoke frequently about his faith, crediting both famed evangelist Billy Graham and his mother for shaping his beliefs. In his 2004 book, “Against All Odds: My Story,” Norris discussed his mom’s influence on his faith.
“She loves Jesus with all of her heart and soul and made sure we understood that,” Norris said at the time. “She influenced me spiritually and instilled in me a sense of responsibility that carried over in my later adult life. She always told me ‘God has plans for you,’ and I didn’t know what she meant. I think I do now.”
He often talked about how his faith kept him going during difficult times and wrote in his 2004 book about how he turned to God when his wife went into preterm labor.
“I had earned millions of dollars over my lifetime,” Norris wrote. “I’d been a friend to several presidents, yet all the money in my bank account couldn’t help me now. … There was only one person to whom I could turn.”
As a public figure, Norris advocated for the Bible to be taught in public schools, working with the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools to lobby for biblical education.
Aside from his faith, Norris became known for his patriotism, advocacy for veterans, and conservative political beliefs. He took multiple trips overseas to visit with American service members, including to troops deployed in Southwest Asia and Iraq.
Norris opposed gun control, speaking at the National Rifle Association’s national meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2010. He worked on a publicity campaign to get supporters of the Second Amendment registered to vote.
Active in Republican politics, Norris endorsed Mike Huckabee during the Republican primary for the 2008 presidential race.
Credit: Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images.
“My plan to secure the border? Two words: ‘Chuck Norris,’” Huckabee said in one ad from 2007.
“My plan to secure the border? Two words: ‘Chuck Norris'” – Mike Huckabee, 2007 pic.twitter.com/aS2DrExPZR
— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) March 20, 2026
Huckabee would go on to win the Iowa caucus, fueled in part by Evangelical Christian voters like Norris. In 2012, Norris would endorse Newt Gingrich’s run for office before later supporting Mitt Romney’s bid against President Barack Obama.
While his preferred candidates didn’t win in 2008 or 2012, Norris wrote about getting to meet two of his favorite presidents, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, both of whom he said were “not supposed to win.”
Norris said that Nancy Reagan’s assistant called his office and invited him to a celebrity tennis game at the White House. He said he accepted before remembering he had never played tennis before.
“When I hung up the phone, it dawned on me that I had never played tennis in my life! So, I hired a tennis teacher to give me 10 days of intensive lessons before I had to fly to Washington, D.C.,” Norris said. “It was a lot of fun playing in the White House tennis event. I had a great time. I didn’t play so great, but at least I didn’t embarrass myself.”
Norris said that he first met Trump back in 1974 at the World Martial Arts championships. At the time, Norris was retiring and moving on to pursue acting. He said that Trump “looked at me square in the eyes and said, ‘I have a feeling you are going to do well as an actor.’ Then, he simply turned around and walked off.”
The two later bumped into each other again at another wrestling event.
Donald Trump meets Chuck Norris at Wrestlemania VII in Los Angeles, California, March 1991.
35 years ago this week.
Rest in peace, Chuck. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/DmT4u2FpBu
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) March 20, 2026
Norris also supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and took multiple trips to Israel. Netanyahu called Norris “a great friend of Israel and a close personal friend.”
A native of Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said that his state had “lost a legend.”
“All of Texas mourns the passing of Chuck Norris. He was not only a martial arts champion, action icon, and the one and only Walker, Texas Ranger,” Abbott said. “But he electrified generations of conservatives. Giving them a passion and voice to fight for the principles that make America the greatest nation on earth. He embodied the toughness, grit, and patriotism that makes Texas supreme. Rest in peace, Chuck.”
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