Republican Catholics Favor Trump Despite Pope's Influence
WHO:
Alternet - President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV, Pew Research Center, U.S. Catholics, Catholic Democrats, Catholic independents.
WHAT:
Alternet - A new poll from the Pew Research Center revealed that 39 percent of Republican Catholics think Pope Leo XIV has been “too critical of the Trump administration,” while 32 percent believe President Trump has been “too critical of Leo.”
Alternet - The Pope's unfavorability among conservative Catholics rose to 22 percent, up from 6 percent in August 2025.
Alternet - The Pope's favorability rating decreased from 84 percent to 72 percent.
Alternet - 19 percent of U.S. Catholics say Leo has been too critical of the Trump administration, while 16 percent say he hasn’t been critical enough.
Alternet - 35 percent of U.S. Catholics believe Leo is striking the right balance in his criticism of Trump.
Alternet - Trump criticized Leo on social media, stating the pope was "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."
Alternet - Pope Leo XIV welcomed the peace deal with Iran, stating, “I hope that the agreement may help strengthen mutual trust, security, and stability in the Middle East, promoting paths of dialogue and cooperation among peoples.”
Alternet - A Pew Research Center poll found that 39 percent of Republican Catholics believe Pope Leo XIV has been “too critical of the Trump administration.”
Alternet - 32 percent of Republican Catholics think President Trump has been “too critical of Leo.”
Alternet - 28 percent of Republican Catholics agree that “Leo has been too critical of Trump but Trump hasn’t been too critical of Leo.”
Alternet - 21 percent of Republican Catholics said “Trump has been too critical of Leo but Leo hasn’t been too critical of Trump.”
Alternet - The Pope's unfavorability among conservative Catholics rose from 6 percent in August 2025 to 22 percent.
Alternet - The Pope's favorability rating decreased from 84 percent to 72 percent.
Alternet - Overall, the Pope has a 78 percent approval rating among all U.S. Catholics.
Alternet - 51 percent of Catholics believe Trump has been too critical of Pope Leo, while only 4 percent think he hasn’t been critical enough.
Alternet - 14 percent of Catholics believe Trump is striking the right balance in his approach to the Pope.
Alternet - 68 percent of Catholic Democrats say Trump has been too critical of Leo.
WHERE:
Alternet - The survey was conducted in the United States.
WHEN:
Alternet - The peace deal with Iran is set to be signed on "Friday."
Alternet - The Pew Research Center poll was conducted from May 26 to June 1.
Alternet - The peace deal with Iran is set to be signed on "Friday."
WHY:
Alternet - The poll results reflect growing tension between Pope Leo XIV and President Trump over the conflict in Iran and other matters.
Alternet - Pope Leo XIV spoke out against war, blaming it on unnamed leaders having a "delusion of omnipotence."
HOW:
Alternet - The survey was conducted by Pew Research Center.
(UPDATED June 18, 2026 23:35 UTC)
A new poll from the Pew Research Center shows that 39 percent of Republican Catholics feel Pope Leo XIV has been too critical of the Trump administration, while 32 percent believe President Trump has been too critical of the Pope. The Pope's favorability rating has dropped from 84 percent to 72 percent, and his unfavorability among conservative Catholics has surged to 22 percent, up from just 6 percent in August 2025. Meanwhile, the Pope welcomed a peace deal with Iran, expressing hope that it will foster mutual trust and stability in the Middle East, with the signing set to take place on Friday.
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(UPDATED June 18, 2026 21:41 UTC)
A recent Pew Research Center poll reveals that 39 percent of Republican Catholics believe Pope Leo XIV has been too critical of President Trump, while 32 percent think Trump has been too critical of the Pope. The survey also shows that the Pope's unfavorability among conservative Catholics has increased significantly, rising from 6 percent to 22 percent since August 2025. Overall, 51 percent of Catholics feel that Trump has been too critical of Pope Leo, highlighting the growing tension between the two figures amid ongoing discussions about the conflict in Iran.