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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Pope Leo XIV is significantly more popular than President Donald Trump across most religious and political groups in the United States, according to new polling—yet the biggest outliers underscore how deeply faith and politics have become intertwined.
A national survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), conducted in May 2026 and released Wednesday, found 56 percent of Americans overall view the pope favorably, compared with 34 percent for Trump.
It also found the pontiff is viewed more favorably than the president across most major religious and political groups in the United States.
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Republicans are the exception, with 79 percent viewing Trump favorably versus 47 percent for Leo.
For Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, that divide is less about theology than about political identity.
Deckman told Newsweek that Trump’s favorability has declined across every major religious group in the survey, with white evangelical Protestants now the only one in which a majority still backs him.
She attributed that erosion to "inflation and economic anxiety, an unpopular war, and a hard-line immigration policy," while noting that the pope is often judged on a different standard—as a moral leader rather than a political actor.
That contrast helps explain why Leo’s favorability cuts across partisan and religious lines.
His calls for humane treatment of immigrants and opposition to war may resonate with many Americans as closer to biblical teaching, Deckman said, creating what amounts to a moral counterpoint to the Trump administration’s policy agenda.
Key Points
- Americans are more likely to view Pope Leo favorably than Trump, according to a PRRI poll.
- Democrats (73 percent vs. 5 percent) and independents (55 percent vs. 25 percent) overwhelmingly favor the pope, while Republicans are the only group where Trump leads (79 percent vs. 47 percent).
- But favorability of Trump among Republicans and independents has declined since September 2024, from 84 percent and 37 percent, respectively.
- Trump's favorability has dropped among every religious group in America, according to Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, who said that white evangelical Protestants are "now the only one in which a majority still view him favorably."
- Deckman told Newsweek that Trump’s declining support reflects economic concerns, foreign policy tensions, and immigration debates, while views of Pope Leo are "not primarily political" but tied to his role as a moral figure.
- White evangelical Protestants and Christian nationalism adherents are the key exceptions, remaining more favorable toward Trump than the pope.
- Historically, popes have often enjoyed broad popularity in the U.S., suggesting these patterns are not entirely new—but are now more politically polarized.
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Why It Matters
For decades, religious leaders often served as a unifying moral reference point in American life, but today, that role appears more fragmented.
The PRRI data suggests that while many Americans still view the pope as a broadly moral or spiritual figure, others—especially within politically aligned religious blocs—interpret him through the same ideological prism they use for political leaders.
Deckman framed this as part of a larger realignment. Favorability toward Trump, she said, has "dropped among every religious group," leaving a narrower base of consistent support. At the same time, the pope’s appeal remains broad precisely because it is less tethered to day-to-day policy debates.
What To Know
The PRRI survey was conducted online between May 1 and May 18, 2026, among a nationally representative sample of 5,469 adults across all 50 states.
Of those respondents, 5,140 were drawn from Ipsos’s KnowledgePanel, with an additional 329 recruited to boost representation in smaller states. The margin of error for the national sample is plus or minus 1.53 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
Beneath the topline gap, the data shows how sharply opinion diverges depending on political identity.
Among Democrats, 73 percent view Pope Leo favorably, compared with just 5 percent who say the same of Trump. Independents also lean heavily toward the pope, at 55 percent favorable versus 25 percent for the president.
Republicans stand apart. Nearly eight in 10—79 percent—view Trump favorably, while fewer than half, 47 percent, hold a favorable view of Pope Leo.
The divide becomes even more pronounced when broken down by religion. White evangelical Protestants and Christian nationalism adherents are the only major groups where Trump outperforms the pope, while most other religious affiliations—including Catholics, Jewish Americans, and the religiously unaffiliated—show higher favorability toward Leo.
"Notably, Catholics hold extremely favorable views of Leo, likely driven by pride that he is the first American pope," Deckman said. "Even two-thirds of Republican Catholics view him favorably."
She emphasized that these attitudes are shaped not only by Pope Leo himself but by broader perceptions of global religious leadership. "They speak to what individuals think about the pope’s role as a religious or moral leader," she said, rather than a purely political one.
Religion, Politics, And Identity
The most revealing divide lies with white evangelical Protestants and Christian nationalism adherents.
These groups remain among Trump’s most loyal constituencies, reflecting a broader alignment between religious identity and conservative politics. According to PRRI data, white evangelical Protestants continue to back Trump at significantly higher rates than most other religious groups.
Deckman suggested that, for these voters, political identity may outweigh religious affiliation when evaluating figures like the pope.
Opposition to Leo’s stance on immigration and the war in Iran may reinforce skepticism, particularly among those who see such positions as conflicting with their political priorities, she said.
At the same time, historical dynamics still play a role. Suspicion toward the Catholic Church—once widespread in parts of American Protestantism—has faded but not disappeared, Deckman explained.
"Throughout the 20th century, many Evangelicals regarded Catholics with suspicion, on both theological and nativist grounds, often viewing them as owing loyalty to the Pope over the United States," she said. "Those feelings have faded for many conservative Christians—and plenty of conservative Catholics are loyal Trump voters today—but they likely still resonate for some, particularly Christian nationalists."
A Familiar Pattern—With A Modern Twist
While the results may seem striking, they are not unprecedented. Polling from 2015 found that 67 percent of Americans viewed Pope Francis favorably, compared with 52 percent for then-President Barack Obama, Deckman explained. That, she said, suggests popes have long enjoyed broader appeal than political leaders.
Pew Research Center polling found that nine in 10 U.S. Catholics rated Pope Francis favorably in early 2015, underscoring how popes have often commanded exceptionally high levels of support among American Catholics.
The difference today is polarization. Earlier eras saw relatively broad agreement across party lines. Now, attitudes toward religious figures increasingly mirror political divides, with Republicans, Democrats, and independents interpreting the same figure in markedly different ways.
Trump’s Declining Support Base
The PRRI survey also reflects a broader trend in Trump’s standing. More than a year into his second administration, roughly 3 in 10 Americans view him favorably, down from pre-election levels.
Declines have been most pronounced among independents and less committed Republicans.
Economic concerns appear central to that shift. Inflation and broader financial anxiety have weighed on public opinion, as has dissatisfaction with the war in Iran. The survey found that two-thirds of Americans hold unfavorable views of Trump’s handling of the conflict.
Even on immigration—an issue that once energized his base—support has softened across several groups, particularly outside core Republican constituencies.
Deckman pointed to this convergence of pressures as key to understanding Trump’s declining numbers. While his strongest supporters remain loyal, the coalition around him has narrowed.
Why the Pope Outpaces the President
Pope Leo’s broader appeal highlights a key distinction between moral authority and political power.
Unlike a president, the pope is not directly responsible for policy outcomes. That distance allows many Americans to view him through a symbolic lens—one tied to values, ethics, and spirituality rather than governance.
Deckman noted that this difference helps explain why Leo performs strongly across diverse groups, including those who disagree on politics. His statements on immigration and war may resonate as expressions of moral teaching rather than partisan positions.
At the same time, not all Americans view Leo uniformly. A year into his papacy, some respondents remain unfamiliar with him, which may limit stronger opinions in either direction.
What the White House Says
The White House has repeatedly pointed to Trump’s 2024 election victory as the clearest measure of public support.
Spokesman Davis Ingle said that the result reflected a mandate from nearly 80 million voters and described November 5, 2024, as "the ultimate poll," arguing that the administration is continuing to deliver on a "popular and commonsense agenda" as its policies take effect.
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