Reagan was never an evangelical he just pandered to them. They loved his conservatism more than Carter's genuine, peace-loving Jesus. Reagan started his campaign outside of Philadelphia (Mississippi, not Pennsylvania!) where Medgar Evans had been kiled years earlier by white supremacists and employed the "Make America Great Again" slogan long before Trump. His southern stategy carried him into the White House and the Republican Party has never looked back (even if they do look backwards!).