A recent study conducted by Pew Research indicates a shift in support among Catholics in the United States, with more now leaning towards former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden. The report shows that 55% of Catholics are in favor of or leaning towards supporting Trump, while only 45% support Biden. This marks a significant change from 2020 when Trump held a slight lead of 50% to 49%. Among Hispanic Catholics, Biden currently has a slight advantage with 49% supporting him compared to 47% for Trump. However, this still represents a notable shift towards Trump within this demographic, as a previous poll in 2020 showed 67% of Hispanic Catholics preferred Biden.
On the other hand, Protestants overwhelmingly support Trump, with around 60% backing him and only about 38% leaning towards Biden. Atheists, agnostics, and the religiously unaffiliated largely favor Biden, with approximately 69% indicating support for the Democratic incumbent, while only 28% express support for Trump. Despite Biden’s efforts to align himself with the Catholic faith, his stance on certain issues conflicting with Catholic teachings, such as pro-choice policies and gender ideology, has faced criticism from Catholic leaders.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., has previously referred to Biden as a “Cafeteria Catholic,” accusing him of selectively emphasizing certain aspects of the faith while disregarding or contradicting others. Recent polls, including an exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University survey, show a close race between Trump and Biden, with Trump leading 40% to 38%, highlighting the volatility of the current political landscape.
“Nearly eight months out, the election is not set yet. One in four people surveyed said they might change their minds before November. That unsettled sentiment was bipartisan, including 14% of Biden voters and 15% of Trump voters,” USA Today reported.
The outlet added: “Most of those now backing a third-party candidate said they were open to changing their minds, among them 75% of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters and 94% of Jill Stein supporters. That signals the potential erosion independent candidates often see as Election Day nears. It also provides a big opportunity for each major-party candidate to make his case to voters who are now reluctant to support him and to convince those voters that it would be dangerous or unwise to back the other guy.”
Concerns regarding immigration and challenges to democracy closely followed voters’ prioritization of inflation and the economy, which accounted for 29% of their vote, according to the poll. Abortion was the only other topic that reached double digits, with a 10% ranking. A separate survey indicates that Biden is falling further behind Trump on the issues that voters care most about in this election year. The ABC/Ipsos poll, conducted between March 8 and 9, revealed that 36% of respondents trusted Trump, compared to 33% who trusted Biden. Meanwhile, 30% stated that neither candidate had their trust.
When asked about their opinions on the job performance of both presidents, Trump received higher ratings than Biden on all issues except abortion and climate change. Trump garnered a favorable rating of 49% on the economy, while Biden received 37%. In terms of inflation, 45% approved of Trump, while only 31% approved of Biden. Regarding crime, Trump was viewed more favorably at 41%, compared to Biden’s 35%.
Similarly, on the topic of immigration, Trump received a favorable rating of 45%, while Biden trailed behind with 29%. Other pollsters have observed that as Biden’s administration continues to prosecute Trump, his polling numbers have strengthened. In fact, one pollster suggests that the ongoing prosecution of Trump is transforming him into the ‘Nelson Mandela of America’ – a wrongly persecuted martyr of significant proportions that could potentially propel him back into the White House.
