Poll shows most Catholic voters prefer Trump to Biden

Catholics in the United States have been undergoing a dramatic shift in their political leanings, with a significant statistical break towards supporting former President Donald Trump over President Joe Biden. According to a recent report released by Pew Research on April 30, the majority of Catholics now support or lean towards supporting Trump in a head-to-head matchup against Biden.

Specifically, the poll found that 55% of Catholics favor Trump, while only 43% support Biden in the same one-on-one pairing. This 12% margin in favor of Trump represents a considerable shift from the 2020 election, where Trump held a narrow lead over Biden by a slim margin of 50% to 49%.

Interestingly, Biden still leads among Hispanic Catholics, but the gap has narrowed significantly. The latest poll shows a 49%-47% split in favor of Biden, marking a major rightward shift for this demographic. In contrast, a similar poll conducted in 2020 indicated that Hispanic Catholics overwhelmingly preferred Biden over Trump by a margin of 67% to 26%.

On the other hand, approximately 60% of Protestants expressed their support for Trump, while only about 38% leaned towards Biden, according to the April survey. In contrast, atheists, agnostics, and the religiously unaffiliated group overwhelmingly favored Biden, with approximately 69% stating their support for the Democratic incumbent compared to only 28% backing Trump.

President Biden has emphasized his Catholic identity throughout his political career, presenting himself as a devout believer. However, his stance on certain controversial issues, such as abortion and gender ideology, has drawn criticism from Catholic leaders. Despite claiming to be a faithful Catholic, Biden’s support for policies that contradict fundamental Church teachings has led Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., to label him as a “cafeteria Catholic,” accusing him of selectively adhering to certain aspects of the faith while disregarding others.

Overall, the shifting attitudes of Catholics in the U.S. towards political candidates reflect a broader trend in the country’s religious landscape. As the political climate continues to evolve, it will be intriguing to see how these dynamics play out in future elections and shape the intersection of religion and politics in American society.