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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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Pope Leo XIV remains widely popular among U.S. Catholics, but a new survey suggests partisan divisions are beginning to shape views of the pontiff.
A Pew Research Center survey found 78 percent of Catholics view Leo favorably, down from 84 percent last year. The decline was driven largely by Republican Catholics and less-frequent churchgoers.
The survey follows a period of public tension between Pope Leo and President Donald Trump. In April, the pontiff spoke out against war, warning that it was driven by unnamed leaders gripped by a "delusion of omnipotence." Trump later responded with a series of social media attacks, describing the pope as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."
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Pope Leo’s popularity remains high historically, but the emerging partisan split mirrors broader polarization across U.S. society, where even moral and religious figures are filtered through political identity.
Key Points
- Some 78 percent of U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo favorably, down from 84 percent in 2025
- Republican Catholic support fell 12 points to 72 percent
- Democratic Catholic support slipped 5 points to 84 percent
- Favorability is lowest among Catholics who rarely attend Mass (73 percent)
- A total of 51 percent of Catholics say Trump has been too critical of the pope.
“President Trump has great respect for the more than one billion Catholics around the world, especially the Catholic Americans who helped power his landslide election victory in 2024,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Newsweek.
“There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it: he stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation’s children, and protected parents’ rights.”
Newsweek also reached out to the Holy See for comment via email on Friday morning.
Most Catholics Reject Trump's Criticism of Leo
Democratic Catholics remain more supportive at 84 percent, down five points.
Approval is highest among weekly Mass attendees at 85 percent and falls to 73 percent among those who rarely attend church.
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Overall, 51 percent of Catholics say Trump has been too critical of Leo, while only 19 percent believe the pope has been too critical of the administration.
Among Catholic Democrats, 70 percent say Trump has been too critical of Pope Leo, compared with 3 percent who say the reverse.
Catholic Republicans are more divided, with 32 percent criticizing Trump’s tone and 39 percent saying Leo has been too critical.
Pope Outpolls Trump Across Most Voter Groups
Separate polling suggests Leo's appeal extends well beyond Catholic voters.
A Public Religion Research Institute survey conducted May 1 to 18 with 5,469 U.S. adults found 56 percent view Pope Leo favorably, compared with 34 percent for Trump.
Across most political and religious groups, Leo is more popular than the president. Democrats and independents back the pope by wide margins, while Republicans are the only group where Trump leads—79 percent favorable compared with 47 percent for Leo.
That divergence mirrors the pattern seen among Catholics, where partisan identity increasingly shapes how respondents interpret even non-political figures.
Expert Sees Politics, Not Theology, Behind the Shift
Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI, told Newsweek that the divide appears driven more by politics than theology.
She noted that Trump's favorability has fallen across every religious group, amid concerns over the economy, foreign policy and immigration, while many Americans continue to view the pope primarily as a moral figure.
That distinction may help explain why Leo retains broad support even as his standing weakens among Republicans.
At the same time, his positions on issues such as immigration and war may be interpreted through increasingly partisan lenses, making even religious leadership a point of political division.
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Even Religious Leaders Are Feeling the Pull of Partisanship
Popes have historically enjoyed stronger approval ratings than elected politicians.
Taken together, the Pew and PRRI surveys show Leo retains broad support across much of the electorate. But they also suggest that political affiliation is playing a growing role in how Americans assess even religious leaders.
The findings offer another sign that few public institutions remain insulated from the country's widening political divide.
Update: 06/20 02:55 a.m. This article has been updated with a White House statement.
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