As a Catholic, I’m also often divided. I remember when Pope John Paul II died, there was a political cartoon that had liberals and conservatives claiming he was their pope, both pointing to different principles and positions he had taken. Catholics have always been divided between the two parties, so in the aggregate, their presidential vote has been split down the middle.

But this is a more recent phenomenon for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, due in large part to a major identity shift for the Republican Party, which has embraced more populist rhetoric and let go of its religious positioning. Thirty years ago, it was clear that the Republican Party espoused religious doctrine as part of its policies. A very specific example makes this clear: Republicans were pro-life because many religious doctrines teach that abortion is the murder of innocent life. Now they have a presidential candidate whose position on abortion depends on public opinion. In 1999, he said he hated abortion but was very pro-choice. In 2011, he said he was very pro-life. In 2018, Trump advocated for a national abortion ban. He nominated three Supreme Court justices with the stated intent to overturn Roe, which happened in 2022. But when Republicans lost in 2022, including several ballot initiatives on abortion, Trump changed his position on abortion again to argue that states should decide. As recently as last week, he signaled he may vote to expand abortion rights in Florida. When he was criticized for that message, he changed his mind, saying he would vote against it.

It’s not hard to understand why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are confused. Generally, their religion informs them to be pro-life. And, for at least the last 50 years, the Republican Party had been the pro-life party, working for decades to overturn Roe v. Wade. That policy position aligns. However, when the national party leader moves back and forth on one of the most important religious principles, it’s hard to know where he stands, which makes it hard to know where the party stands. I also think it’s hard because it seems clear he moves back and forth due to political pressures, which begs the question of whether he has any political principles. His movement on abortion begs the question of whether he has any religious principles.

It’s also really hard inside the state of Utah right now. Gov. Spencer Cox has endorsed Trump for president, after years of not publicly aligning with him. This new relationship has gone so far that Cox decided last week to have his picture taken with Trump at Arlington National Cemetery, over the graves of fallen military. To be clear, the family asked them both to be there and got permission to have the picture taken, which goes against Arlington National Cemetery rules that prevent using the cemetery for politics. If it had ended there, that would have been fine. But Trump posted the pictures on a TikTok video and Cox sent the picture in an email, which ended with a request for donations. In both cases, this is using the cemetery for politics. And again, this begs the question of whether either has any principles.

Perhaps we as voters could turn to the Democratic nominee for governor, Brian King. But he aired a video making fun of Cox’s 2020 campaign ad, in which the governor appears with the Democratic nominee at that time asking everyone to disagree better. King was in a video with Phil Lyman, who spent his summer trashing elections in Utah. Why would you get on a stage with Lyman? Why would you make fun of Cox who was asking people to disagree better? A recent poll has King at 19%, lower than Democrats usually run in Utah, and I have to think it’s because most of us are asking the question: Does he have any principles? Is there no low too low?

Like the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I find myself politically homeless. I’m not sure who to vote for this year. I’m not sure I can vote for a Democrat who mocks someone who wants to encourage people to be more civil. I’m not sure I can vote for a Republican who uses the Arlington National Cemetery for political gain. And when no one talks about policy, only about winning in some epic grudge match, I’m not even sure what the policy positions are. I long for the times when our politicians at least pretended to have principles and policy positions.

Leah Murray is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the academic director of the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service at Weber State University.